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Profile Editions The Return of the Grey Partridge Restoring Nature on the South Downs.
The Return of the Grey Partridge tells the extraordinary story of how wildlife is restored to the Arundel Estate in West Sussex. Prompted by the collapse in numbers of one species, the grey partridge of the title, the managers of the estate woke up to the devastating effect modern farming methods were having on wildlife.
Following the estate through the seasons of one year, the book shows how the farm of Peppering is gradually fields are divided up with hedgerows and trees, beetle banks are built across fields, the land is manured rather than fed with artificial fertilisers, and much of it is returned to pasture. Detailed descriptions of nature give a sense of this large estate coming back to life - still very much farmland, but with a rapid increase in wildlife and biodiversity. And the partridges return.
Written in collaboration with the Duke of Norfolk, owner of the Arundel Estate, this moving and hopeful account shows how modern farming can work in partnership with nature to restore not only birdlife but to benefit the whole ecosystem.
Following the estate through the seasons of one year, the book shows how the farm of Peppering is gradually fields are divided up with hedgerows and trees, beetle banks are built across fields, the land is manured rather than fed with artificial fertilisers, and much of it is returned to pasture. Detailed descriptions of nature give a sense of this large estate coming back to life - still very much farmland, but with a rapid increase in wildlife and biodiversity. And the partridges return.
Written in collaboration with the Duke of Norfolk, owner of the Arundel Estate, this moving and hopeful account shows how modern farming can work in partnership with nature to restore not only birdlife but to benefit the whole ecosystem.
- GenresNonfiction
224 pages, Hardcover
Published February 22, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 20, 2026
The Return of the Grey Partridge: Restoring Nature on the South Downs is an engaging and uplifting book about the recovery of wildlife in the English countryside. Published in 2024, it tells the story of how the Peppering Estate, part of the Arundel Estate in West Sussex, worked to bring the grey partridge back from the brink of local extinction. Through the writing of Roger Morgan-Grenville, alongside Edward Norfolk’s experience as a landowner, the book offers an inspiring account of what can be achieved when farming and nature conservation work together.
At the heart of the book is a simple but important message: the decline of wildlife is not inevitable, and with the right management, damaged habitats can be restored. The authors describe how changes to farming practices helped improve conditions for grey partridges and many other species. Hedgerows, beetle banks and more varied habitats provided food, shelter and nesting opportunities, allowing the wider countryside to become richer in wildlife. The result is a convincing example of how productive farmland can also support a healthy ecosystem.
One of the book’s greatest strengths is its vivid sense of place. The South Downs landscape is brought to life through detailed observations of the changing seasons and the wildlife that inhabits the estate. Rather than presenting conservation as an abstract scientific subject, Morgan-Grenville makes it a human story, shaped by the determination, knowledge and practical work of the people involved. This makes the book accessible to readers who may have little previous knowledge of ecology or game management.
The book is also valuable because it explores the relationship between farming and conservation. It demonstrates that restoring wildlife does not necessarily mean abandoning agriculture or returning the entire landscape to wilderness. Instead, relatively targeted changes to land management can benefit birds, insects and other wildlife while allowing farms to remain productive. This practical approach gives the story relevance far beyond the boundaries of the Arundel Estate.
However, the book raises questions that deserve further consideration. The grey partridge recovery project was partly motivated by the desire to restore wild partridge shooting, which creates an interesting tension between conservation and sporting interests. Some readers may question whether wildlife recovery should depend on a species having value to those who wish to shoot it. Others may see the project as a pragmatic success, since the resulting habitat improvements benefit a much wider range of wildlife. This tension adds depth to the story and encourages readers to think critically about the different motivations behind conservation.
Overall, The Return of the Grey Partridge is a hopeful and thought-provoking book that combines natural history, practical conservation and an appreciation of the British countryside. Its greatest achievement is showing that meaningful environmental recovery is possible when people are prepared to change the way they manage the land. It is particularly recommended for anyone interested in British wildlife, farming, ecology or the future of the countryside.
At the heart of the book is a simple but important message: the decline of wildlife is not inevitable, and with the right management, damaged habitats can be restored. The authors describe how changes to farming practices helped improve conditions for grey partridges and many other species. Hedgerows, beetle banks and more varied habitats provided food, shelter and nesting opportunities, allowing the wider countryside to become richer in wildlife. The result is a convincing example of how productive farmland can also support a healthy ecosystem.
One of the book’s greatest strengths is its vivid sense of place. The South Downs landscape is brought to life through detailed observations of the changing seasons and the wildlife that inhabits the estate. Rather than presenting conservation as an abstract scientific subject, Morgan-Grenville makes it a human story, shaped by the determination, knowledge and practical work of the people involved. This makes the book accessible to readers who may have little previous knowledge of ecology or game management.
The book is also valuable because it explores the relationship between farming and conservation. It demonstrates that restoring wildlife does not necessarily mean abandoning agriculture or returning the entire landscape to wilderness. Instead, relatively targeted changes to land management can benefit birds, insects and other wildlife while allowing farms to remain productive. This practical approach gives the story relevance far beyond the boundaries of the Arundel Estate.
However, the book raises questions that deserve further consideration. The grey partridge recovery project was partly motivated by the desire to restore wild partridge shooting, which creates an interesting tension between conservation and sporting interests. Some readers may question whether wildlife recovery should depend on a species having value to those who wish to shoot it. Others may see the project as a pragmatic success, since the resulting habitat improvements benefit a much wider range of wildlife. This tension adds depth to the story and encourages readers to think critically about the different motivations behind conservation.
Overall, The Return of the Grey Partridge is a hopeful and thought-provoking book that combines natural history, practical conservation and an appreciation of the British countryside. Its greatest achievement is showing that meaningful environmental recovery is possible when people are prepared to change the way they manage the land. It is particularly recommended for anyone interested in British wildlife, farming, ecology or the future of the countryside.
January 3, 2025
This is a well written book about what I believe to be an important environmental project. I have visited peppering farm on many occasions as a bird watcher. It is known as one of the best sites in Sussex for certain species, especially raptors and of course grey partridge. What I hadn't realised about the estate is how fundamental conservation of grey partridge is to everything they do. This is not greenwashing, it is root and branch re-naturing. And there's no doubt that they do it very well. The additional benefits of a significant increase in biodiversity have to be lauded. The driving motivator is being able to shoot wild partridge when there is a big enough surplus not to affect sustainability. As with big game hunting which funds significant conservation I feel quite ambivalent about that but the bottom line is a significant increase in biodiversity. Without doubt the Duke has done a laudable job. He stands in contrast however too many of the inherited landowners who seem to have made a concerted effort at destroying biodiversity. As Guy Shrubsole points out in his book The Lie Of The Land, private ownership of land has by march been a very bad thing for nature in this country. There's a lot to debate about the book. Could all this have been done without a hunting objective? Of course it could but would it have? The farming that is done on the land is profitable and despite not being organic has not seen to have affected the important insect numbers. I would have liked more information about the use of insecticides. Certainly Silent Spring is mentioned. I was also quite sympathetic of the culling of predators such as crows and foxes. Similar to the need to cull deer in Scotland. Unfortunately those predators have grown out of proportion to the correct ecological balance due to the large number of pheasants that are released for shooting every year. The shoot on Peppering farm is exclusively of wild birds. The management system is described as regenerative farming. It is somewhat different to what is done at Knepp to the east. Recommended to those interested in conservation and indeed birding.
April 9, 2024
Really challenged me about how shooting fits with conservation. Worth a read. Feel I better understand differences between rewilding and regenerative farming and how different goals and motivations to mine can still produce outcomes I would like! Predator control in particular has left me thinking hard as I have realised that without a full ecosystem there is a place for it. Now I have to decide to what level I am happy with this. I can’t wait to go and see the farm for myself!
April 23, 2025
A wonderful and inspiring story of conservation (or “renaturing” as the book puts it) through shooting.
There are many ways to restore nature in Britain, and we need all of them. This story provides hard evidence of the role traditional field sports and farming can play. What an amazing success. A story that needs telling far and wide.
There are many ways to restore nature in Britain, and we need all of them. This story provides hard evidence of the role traditional field sports and farming can play. What an amazing success. A story that needs telling far and wide.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews