Jules Dagonet the new General Manager for the National Trust Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Property Group provided the update below on 20/10/2026
Further to the question raised at the recent Parish Council meeting regarding the future management of Golden Valley, the area in question is known as South Park.
Our long-term aim is to reintroduce cattle grazing to the field as a key part of its management. Before this can be achieved, however, a new perimeter fence is required to make the site suitable for grazing livestock. This represents a significant investment, and we are currently pursuing grant funding to support the project. Alongside this work, we will continue planting trees in appropriate historic locations to help restore the parkland character of the landscape.
You may also have noticed an area of developing scrub within one corner of the field. While this provides valuable habitat for breeding birds and other wildlife, our intention is to manage it so that it remains as scattered scrub within an open landscape, rather than developing into dense woodland. We also intend to retain and encourage smaller patches of scrub throughout the parkland where they contribute to biodiversity and habitat diversity.
More broadly, our objective is to increase the diversity of wildflowers and other grassland species across the field. This is expected to be a gradual process, working with natural ecological processes rather than through wholesale reseeding. Grazing will play an important role in achieving this objective. In the meantime, annual cutting and removal of vegetation from selected areas helps reduce nutrient build-up and accumulated thatch, creating conditions that favour a richer variety of flowering plants.
I hope this provides helpful context on the current management approach and future aspirations for South Park.