The Darent Valley Farmer Cluster is comprised of farmers and landowners who are committed to sustainably farming and managing this precious landscape, situated in the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Steeped in history, the River Darent is a chalk stream, flanked by wetlands, rare chalk grasslands and a diversity of arable, livestock and horticultural farmland. The group, in partnership with Kent Wildlife Trust, presently manages around 2,500 hectares of this diverse landscape.
Through the sharing of knowledge, practical advice, and working collaboratively, the group aims to increase the area and connectivity of environmental actions. These activities will provide public benefits, such as enhanced biodiversity, improved water quality and drainage, and climate change mitigation, whilst continuing to produce food sustainably.
The River Darent runs easterly from Westerham to Sevenoaks. It then turns northwards, eventually flowing into the River Thames at Dartford. The group members are currently concentrated in the mid-Darent area, between Horton Kirby and Brasted, but we hope that more farmers from the Upper and Lower Darent will join us.
The Darent Valley Farmer Cluster members were keen to work more collaboratively, to share ideas, identify additional funding opportunities for local nature recovery and landscape scale projects, and achieve greater environmental benefits.
Kent Wildlife Trust has a vision of a Wilder Kent. Working with other landowners and farmers is crucial to ensuring nature’s recovery across large enough areas to make a difference.
By working in partnership, and with the support of other partner organisations, we can achieve these common goals, increase habitat connectivity and improve water quality.
Kent Wildlife Trust Farmer Cluster Officers facilitate meetings, undertake one-to-one farm visits and deliver a programme of training events to group members. Through these activities, and in cooperation with other partner organisations, such as Kent Downs AONB, North West Kent Countryside Partnership, Natural England and South East Rivers Trust, we can establish trusting working relationships to successfully deliver project goals.
Kent Wildlife Trust has led on a collaborative project for the Darent Valley Farmer Cluster, securing funding from the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme for a Landscape Scale Nature Based Solutions Baseline Assessment. This will form the foundation for further cooperative environmental projects and funding opportunities.
If you are farming in the River Darent catchment and would like to join the cluster, then please get in touch. If you are outside the area and interested in being part of a group, then we would also like to hear from you.
For more information, please contact Marc Crouch.
Marc Crouch is the facilitator for the Darent Valley Farmer Cluster and is also involved with work to scope out other farmer and landowner groups across the Kent Downs AONB.
We need the support of committed local volunteers to help sustainably carry out surveys and other conservation activities each year. You will be vital to helping us understand the wildlife present in the Darent Valley and how this changes each year, as we increase the coverage and connectivity of natural habitats through our collaborative environmental projects.
River Darenth Spring
Filston Farm
River meadows
Swan in River Darenth at Castle Farm
We, at the Quadrangle, are really grateful to be included in the Darent Valley farm cluster. We are not a farm, but we do produce food on a very small scale and provide educational opportunities in our Forest Garden. I hope we’ll be able to contribute something to this hugely important programme. Thank you Kent Wildlife Trust.Deborah Wolton, The Quadrangle, Shoreham
At Castle Farm we have been delivering environmental stewardship programs over many years. In the future, by coordinating with neighbouring farmers in the Darent Valley Cluster, we are looking forward to organising and managing environmental initiatives that support wildlife and create habitats at a landscape scale with far wider benefits than on our own farm independently.William Alexander, The Castle, Shoreham
A multi-partner habitat and river restoration project, the Darent Valley Landscape Recovery Project is an example of what can be achieved for nature through collaboration.
It’s been an exciting year for the Darent Valley, and the headline is collaboration. Kerry Williams, Project Administrator for the Darent Valley Landscape Recovery Pilot, writes about how project partnership is supporting one of our best loved farmland…
Kent Wildlife Trust has welcomed Steve Barclay's announcement of 34 landscape further recovery projects but warns there is much more the government must do to combat the nature and climate crises.
