As agriculture has intensified and farm machinery become more powerful, many historic sites and buildings have been damaged or destroyed. Traditional field boundaries and field patterns have often become less relevant to modern farming operations. Many have been lost or neglected and distinctive features, such as parkland and field trees, have declined. Nevertheless, these features are still fundamental to the character of the countryside and to its appeal to residents and visitors alike.

Entry Level and Organic Entry Level Environmental Stewardship provide an opportunity to conserve the heritage and character of your farm for future generations.

The Entry Levels of Environmental Stewardship now mean that conserving the historic character of your farm for future generations can more readily be part of the overall stewardship of your land. This leaflet is designed to be read alongside Defra’s Entry Level Stewardship and Organic Entry Level Scheme handbooks which provide a full list of the options designed to protect historic features, but it also provides advice on how to find out more about heritage on farm holdings, and where to get more information on their management.