Conservation & Wildlife
Conservation comes naturally.
Conservation has always been present on estates and it forms a fundamental part of our management philosophy at Winton. Whether we are dealing with buildings or bog land, furniture or fine art, they are all worth conserving and require specialist care and attention. We have to manage and adjust the balance between nature, forestry, farming and estate management to ensure that different species of plant, bird and animal life can thrive at Winton.
Buildings
The buildings on Winton Estate date back to
the work of the Setons in the fifteenth century
and the Tower which is at the core of Winton
House. Most of the houses and farm steadings
date from the nineteenth century with some
more recent additions, especially on the farms.
Skilled tradesmen and craftsmen were
employed in their construction and we aim to
use similar skilled people in their maintenance.
This can be a challenge when faced with the
famous and unique stone twisted chimneys of
Winton House or its plaster ceilings! Assistance in pursuing a maintenance programme comes from the Architects East Lothian and Building team at Chalmers & Co.
Works of art
The Winton House collections of furniture
and artwork have been gathered mainly from
around Europe since the eighteenth century
by the three families of Hamiltons, Nisbets
and Ogilvys. Restoration, usually carried out
locally, is an ongoing process, often revealing
the item's original glory.
Wildlife
We cannot control wildlife but we can influence
it and marvel daily at the creativity, adaptability
and intimacy of it all. At Winton, we strive
to enhance the wildlife to enable species to
colonise and grow, whether plants, birds,
insects or mammals. We have identified
the main wildlife corridors which link the
primary habitats, and we strive to conserve
and develop these.
Sometimes this work is prompted by a specific conservation scheme. Our partners in this work include government and wildlife agencies such as the Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department (SEERAD), the Forestry Commission, East Lothian Council, the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG), the RSPB, the Game Conservancy Trust and the farmers' organisation Linking the Environment and Farming (LEAF) of which we are members.
The habitats which have benefited from projects in recent years have been watercourses, wetlands, species rich grassland, ponds, miles of hedgerows, open farmland and woodland. Indicator species such as barn owl and the grey partridge give a good picture of the health of the countryside.
The measures taken to help encourage wildlife include creating and managing:
- · Corridors for wildlife using strips around field boundaries (conservation headlands).
- · Waterside margins.
- · Unharvested crops for winter cover.
- · Ponds and wetlands.
- · Species rich grasslands and hedgerows for insects, butterflies, plant and bird life.
Below are some of the forms of wildlife which are happy to call Winton home, or which we hope will soon return:
- · Wildlife in watercourses, ponds and wetlands
- · Wildlife in woods
- · Wildlife in farmland, parkland, buildings, fields and hedgerows
