A large-scale 30-year restoration and rewilding project has been announced at a North Yorkshire estate.

Under the scheme, 440-acres of low-yielding farmland will be returned to nature on the Castle Howard Estate, with an ambition to reintroduce beavers and attract turtle doves.

The site, located in the grounds of the stately home, will form the Bog Hall Habitat Bank.

The project has been announced by Environment Bank, an organisation which is working to create a national network of Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) Habitat Banks, to generate biodiversity units that developers can purchase to satisfy their BNG planning requirements.

Environment Bank says the restoration will follow rewilding principles and "transform arable land to a mosaic of newly created grassland, shrubland, ponds and reedbeds, whilst enhancing streams, ditches and woodlands". It will also include the introduction of "sustainable grazing livestock, rewilding species like beavers and seeding local plant species to attract rare native birds back to the area, such as turtle doves".

Emma Toovey, chief ecology officer at Environment Bank, said: “We’ve had the pleasure of working closely with the Castle Howard Estate team, who are passionate about protecting the natural world.

"This project is particularly exciting for us, not only due to its potential benefit for nature but also for the unique opportunity to contribute to the restoration of historic natural features on a nationally significant heritage site.

“The naturally wet and boggy site provides the ideal conditions to nurture and re-establish a vast range of flora and fauna. Most exciting of all perhaps, are our ambitions to re-introduce beavers.”

Set within the Howardian Hills National Landscape, the Bog Hall site has been selected for its substantial biodiversity uplift potential. It is boggy terrain, and part of the area has already been designated as a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC).

The Honourable Nicholas Howard added: "Castle Howard has a 300-year history as a custodian of the natural environment, and we now have a key role to play in responding to the ecological challenges we face today.

"We know we must take quick and urgent action to combat biodiversity loss and help turn the tide on climate change. These plans will ensure we create a positive legacy for our local communities and the wider environment in which they live, securing the future of the Estate for generations to come."

So far, Environment Bank’s network of sites covers almost as much land as the island of Gibraltar.

It is part of the Gresham House British Sustainable Infrastructure Fund (BSIF II) portfolio. Environment Bank's website describes Gresham House as a specialist alternative asset management group, dedicated to sustainable investments.