The Estate

Environmental Care

We have been managing land since the 1850s- this might look rather different to how it did 20 years ago but we wonder how much it might have in common with 150 years ago! Our commitment to caring for our land has been deepening and expanding since we first took a hands on approach in the wetland in 2017. Since then we have invested in our own cattle to undertake conservation grazing on the pastureland within the SSSI. We are now expanding our use of the cattle as land managers, using them to deliver biodiversity enhancement projects on the pastureland that sits adjacent to it. And now we’ve taken our farmland fully in hand to transition to “regenerative agriculture”.

We believe that farming and land management can be “part of the solution, not part of the problem”: we can help deliver climate mitigation and biodiversity benefits, as well as producing food. Contact us if you are looking to fund Biodiversity Net Gain or other environmental work.

Wetland

Part of our farmland at Little Wilbraham is designated a “Site of Special Scientific Interest”. This sensitive area is made up primarily of reed beds and is a rare wetland habitat. We have been proud to manage this to promote biodiversity under guidance from Natural England since 2012. Im 2017 we became more closely and personally involved: struggling to find contractors to cut the reed we decided to take the task in house buying our own kit and learning to use it ourselves. We cut a portion of the reed annually to prevent the reedbed drying out and maintain the wetland for a variety of animals and plants.

At the moment there is no “off take” for our reed but we have been working with local thatchers in the hope that in years to come, with the right management, we may be part of a local supply of this traditional building material in the future.

We are proud the SSSI has been identified by Cambridge Nature Network as part of a vision for expanding the Fens to the east of the city.

Farming

At Little Wilbraham, the Quy Hall Estate farms traditional arable crops like wheat, barley and sugar beet.

We entered the Sustainable Farming Incentive in 2024 which funds a number of wildflower plots across the farm. In 2025, we made the decision to take the farm back fully “in hand” and start the transition to nature friendly farming aka “regenerative agriculture”. We are changing the way we farm in order to build soil health, promote biodiversity, and mitigate climate change. We are trying to reduce the use of fertiliser and insecticides, reduce tillage, grow cover crops, diversify the crops we grow etc. We probably aren’t the best at explaining the principles and practice, but you can google for more more information and follow us on Instagram and Facebook to see our journey!

Conservation Grazing

We manage pasture land at Little Wilbraham on the Site of Special Scientific Interest. Our small but growing herd of Devon Red cattle (a traditional British breed selected for their small size, slow growth and hardy temperament) live outside all year round, grazing in summer under strict guidance from Natural England and returning to Quy in the wet season. Grazing the land keeps scrub at bay, protecting the precious wetland, and avoids the need for management by machine. Cattle are selective grazers so leave a more interesting “mosaic” habitat for little beasties plus their poop is natural fertiliser!

We are proud to be part of a local food network, supplying beef from the herd through our local pop-up meat shop and very occasionally at local farmers’ markets. Keep an eye on our Instagram and Facebook pages for the next dates.

Quy Park

We manage Quy Park, a traditional parkland that sits in front of historic Quy Hall. Here you’ll find woodland, a small arable field and grassland. Our own cattle graze here in the winter and we let some grassland for horse-grazing year round, as well as parcels for hay-making and sheep-grazing. The Park is also popular with walkers with footpaths leading to a wonderful view of Quy Hall itself.

With around 45 acres of good-draining grassland and multiple access gates in and out, Quy Park also makes an excellent venue for hosting large scale events. The Park welcomed the public for the legendary Fenland Fair for around 40 years and more recently steam rallies, country fairs and even a medieval Fayre. Keep an eye on Instagram and Facebook for details of coming events.

Lettings

We let a variety of residential homes primarily in Quy and Little Wilbraham. Our tenants tend to be very long-term but if you are looking for a new home, contact our managing agents Cheffins for upcoming vacancies.

We also let some commercial premises in Cambridgeshire, primarily in the hospitality industry. We’re proud to support our local community in particular, preserving access to the local pub, post office and village hall.