Big Chalk Homepage

Pewsey Downs, looking towards Salisbury Plain, offers expansive views of rolling chalk hills and open countryside. The landscape features sweeping green fields and distant, undulating plains, with Salisbury Plain visible on the horizon. The scene is tranquil and panoramic, showcasing the natural beauty and wide-open spaces of the region.

Big Chalk

Our vision is to create nature-rich chalk and limestone landscapes that benefit all of us.

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It’s time to look beyond the scenery.

Our partnership is forging vital connections between nature recovery projects across the chalk and limestone landscapes of southern England.

Uniting resources and expertise, and covering a fifth of England, Big Chalk aims to build a dynamic nature recovery network that will be central to the UK’s pledge to protect 30% of land and halt the decline of nature by 2030.

The North Downs Way through Wye and Kings Wood in the Kent Downs National Landscape features scenic trails amidst ancient woodlands. The path offers lush greenery, diverse wildflowers, and tranquil views of rolling hills, showcasing the natural beauty of the Kent Downs.

Why does Big Chalk exist?

Southern England has some of the most iconic scenery on Earth, with its distinctive chalk and limestone vistas inspiring wonder for centuries. The globally rare interplay of geology, soils and water creates special landscapes formed of streams, meadows, grasslands and woodlands, which support a rich diversity of wildlife.

These landscapes are as crucial to people as they are to our planet. They contribute to water supplies, healthy soils, carbon storage, sustainable food production and flood management, all while improving our health and wellbeing through access to historic heritage and the beautiful outdoors.

But the climate and nature crises threaten these precious places and the nature they support. Most nature-rich grasslands have already been lost, and our chalk streams are in poor health.

That’s why Big Chalk exists.

Latest news and events

Welcome to your hub for the latest updates on our projects, upcoming events, and exciting developments. Discover upcoming events, recent news, and opportunities to engage with Big Chalk and our partners.

People observe the RSPB Winterbourne Downs chalk scrape, engaging with staff to learn about its benefits for biodiversity and the local ecosystem.
News

What can Big Chalk achieve? Using maps to understand its potential

Big Chalk aims to connect nature recovery across 25,000 km² of southern England, engaging 150 partners to enhance wildlife and tackle climate change.

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A green arable field with a path running through it in the Cotswold National Landscape presents a serene rural scene. The field is lush and vibrant, bordered by hedgerows, with the path offering a tranquil route for walkers to explore the expansive countryside and rolling hills typical of the Cotswolds.
Case study

The value of Big Chalk to Limestone Link

A vital partnership initiative aimed at improving the connectivity of the landscape between the Mendip Hills and Cotswolds National Landscapes.

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Wessex Archaeology team member photographing archaeological finds in the field with careful attention to detail to accurately capture the artefacts, ensuring their preservation and documentation for further analysis and study.
News

Achieving together what we can’t do alone

"There’s no limit to what you can achieve, as long as you’re prepared not to take the credit for it."

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The Adonis blue (Polyommatus bellargus) is a small butterfly, with males displaying vivid sky-blue wings and females brown with orange spots. Both sexes have pale brown undersides with black spots. They thrive in chalk grasslands, often seen on low plants like horseshoe vetch.
News

Big Chalk: Entering a new era of growth and collaboration

An exciting new chapter, marking a significant milestone in our journey of safeguarding southern England's chalk and limestone landscapes.

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A combine harvester working in a field in the North Wessex Downs is captured amidst golden, sunlit crops. The large machine is cutting and threshing the wheat, creating a plume of dust as it moves across the rolling, picturesque landscape of the downs, showcasing the region's agricultural charm.
News

Professor Sir John Lawton welcomes Big Chalk’s vision for connected, nature-rich chalk and limestone landscapes

Professor Sir John Lawton urges landscape scale thinking to help the UK regenerate nature and meet the goal of 30% land and sea protected by 2030.

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Meadow saxifrage (Saxifraga granulata) features clusters of small, white, star-shaped flowers with five petals, arranged on slender stems. The plant has rosettes of rounded, green leaves with slightly crinkled edges. It typically grows in grassy meadows and rocky, open areas.
Event

Big Chalk Conference

The first major conference for colleagues and organisations involved in creating thriving chalk and limestone landscapes across southern England.

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Event

Big Chalk Board Meeting

Meeting of key representatives to discuss progress and strategies for advancing nature recovery across southern England’s calcareous landscapes.

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Join our partnership

Realising our vision depends on building a broad, representative partnership – we do together what we cannot do alone.

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For illustrative purposes only

Register your project

Join an evolving network of partner-led projects working to secure the future of nature in southern England’s iconic chalk and limestone landscapes

Register your project
At Standen Manor, a team is restoring streams to enhance habitats and boost biodiversity. Their work includes improving water flow and bankside vegetation, creating a healthier environment for local wildlife.

Join a topic group

Knowledge exchange within the Big Chalk Partnership happens through a series of topic groups, which meet online three to four times a year.

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The Adonis blue (Polyommatus bellargus) is a small butterfly, with males displaying vivid sky-blue wings and females brown with orange spots. Both sexes have pale brown undersides with black spots. They thrive in chalk grasslands, often seen on low plants like horseshoe vetch.

Become a funder or partner

We would love to hear from you if your organisation can help fulfil our mission and contribute to delivering our vision of nature-rich chalk and limestone landscapes that benefit all of us.

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The Wye Crown, located on the North Downs Way in the Kent Downs, is a prominent chalk hill figure offering stunning panoramic views of the surrounding countryside. The site features a large white crown carved into the hillside, visible from afar. It provides a striking landmark along the trail, showcasing the area's natural beauty and historical heritage.
Roundway Down, near Devizes in Wiltshire, is a scenic hill offering panoramic views of the surrounding countryside. Known for its historical significance and natural beauty, the area features grassy slopes and ancient earthworks. It provides a popular spot for walkers and nature enthusiasts to explore its rolling landscapes and enjoy the expansive vistas.

Get involved

There are many ways to get involved with Big Chalk, each playing a vital role in achieving our shared vision.

Whether by joining the partnership to help realise what we can only achieve together, registering your project as part of our dynamic and evolving suite of partner-led initiatives, or joining a topic group to contribute to knowledge-sharing, your involvement matters.

We also welcome funders and new partners who can help us advance our mission to collectively secure the future of nature in southern England’s iconic chalk and limestone landscapes.

Your support is key to our collective success.

Get involved

Big Chalk map

The Big Chalk programme area, highlighting protected landscapes.