Environmental considerations are foremost to the Savile family and great care is taken towards responsible stewardship to maintain the beauty of the natural and built environment, for the benefit of the public, and the cherished rural community residing here, many of whom have lived and farmed in the landscape for generations.
The Hawnby Estate is part of the North York Moors National Park and has several designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest and Special Areas of Conservation. The Estate is a haven for wildlife and home to rare flora and fauna, as well as sites of architectural heritage and historic interest. There are almost 30 Scheduled Ancient Monuments across the Estate and an abundance of other historic features, some dating back to the pre-historic and Bronze Ages. Various local interest groups are regularly welcomed to the Estate to seek out and monitor these rare specimens.
The well-managed moorland is an important territory for endangered wetland nesting birds such as lapwing, curlew and golden plover, as well as being vital for carbon sequestration through the peat reserves; and flood alleviation through the abundant sphagnum mosses. On the banks of the tabular hills across the Estate, we are fortunate to host the most northerly colonies of red-listed Duke of Burgundy butterflies which thrive here thanks to the good habitat of calcareous limestone grasslands and the careful management between the estate and the Butterfly Conservation Charity.
We manage a number of environmental schemes including Countryside and Higher Level Stewardship. Our award-winning woodland management is acknowledged for its conservation of ancient woodland, encouragement of regeneration and the use of sustainable harvesting. Ecologically sensitive extraction techniques have been used for felled timber designed to preserve habitats, biodiversity and landscape. The estates' forestry extends to around 3000 acres, which has been certified to the UK Woodland Assurance Scheme (UKWAS), achieving Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC–C018469) certification status under the Tilhill group scheme certification number SA-FM/COC-004552 G069.