High Weald National Landscape

What High Weald National Landscape does

High Weald National Landscape is a statutory protected landscape partnership operating across 1,461 km² in South East England, covering parts of Kent, Sussex and Surrey. It was designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1983 and renamed a National Landscape in November 2023 following the Government Landscapes Review, while retaining its statutory AONB status. The partnership serves farmers, landowners, community groups, 15 local authorities, schools, visitors and conservation NGOs, coordinating conservation, habitat restoration, regenerative agriculture advisory services, and public access across the territory. It operates through a Joint Advisory Committee with core partnerships including RSPB, Woodland Trust, National Trust, Kent and Sussex Wildlife Trusts, RBG Kew, the Ramblers, and Pasture for Life, supported by an East Sussex County Council host arrangement and a 13-person staff based at the Woodland Enterprise Centre in Flimwell.

The partnership's service portfolio comprises grant administration (Farming in Protected Landscapes, Nature and Community Fund, Schools Grant Scheme, Removing Barriers to Access, Lund Fellowship, Nature Recovery), advisory services (regenerative agriculture, woodland, grassland, wetland, deer management), educational programmes (High Weald Heroes school zone, training events), and recreational infrastructure (2,570 km of public rights of way, the 145 km High Weald Landscape Trail, annual Walking Festival, self-guided walks). Underlying technology includes LiDAR archaeological survey data funded by the National Heritage Lottery Fund, ArcGIS StoryMaps-based interactive mapping tools, and downloadable geographic datasets covering 3,720 species, 13,408 mapped ponds, 3,500 historic farmsteads, and parish-level landscape character information.

The business model is grant-funded rather than commercial. Revenue derives from UK government core funding (via Defra and the 15 local authorities) and project-specific lottery and charitable grants; no products or services are sold. The 2024-2029 AONB Management Plan, approved by the Joint Advisory Committee on 27 March 2024, sets out the twenty-year conservation strategy and five-year investment priorities. Operational scale is small (13 employees) relative to geographic and population reach (127,000 residents within the boundary; over 1 million within 5 km).

Name

High Weald National Landscape

Legal name

High Weald National Landscape Partnership

Website

https://highweald.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The High Weald National Landscape is a statutory UK protected landscape partnership, designated 1983, covering 1,461 km² across Kent, Sussex and Surrey. A 13-person team coordinates 15 local authorities, conservation NGOs, and grant programmes to deliver conservation, regenerative agriculture advisory, and public access.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Flimwell

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: The partnership generates revenue primarily through government and lottery grant funding to support conservation, restoration, and community engagement programs across the High Weald National Landscape.

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The High Weald National Landscape Partnership is a statutory protected landscape body managing 1,461 km² across parts of Kent, Sussex and Surrey in South East England. It provides landscape conservation guidance, advisory services for land managers and farmers, administers grant programs for conservation and community projects, develops educational resources and walking trails, and coordinates 15 local authorities through the Joint Advisory Committee.

Product overview

High Weald National Landscape is a protected landscape organization (formerly AONB Partnership) that offers a collection of informational, educational, and grant-based services rather than a unified technology product. The core offerings include the AONB Management Plan as the guiding policy document, an interactive Storymap for exploring landscape data, LiDAR survey data for archaeological research, the High Weald Landscape Trail and self-guided walking routes for outdoor recreation, the annual Walking Festival, training and events for land managers, regenerative agriculture advisory services, archaeology survey guidance and toolkits, and several grant programs (FiPL, Nature and Community Fund, Schools Grant Scheme) supporting conservation and community engagement. The High Weald Heroes school program provides educational resources for children. These services are primarily informational, advisory, and grant-based rather than software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Regenerative Agriculture Advisory Service Advisory service helping farmers within the High Weald transition to regenerative farming methods, providing advice, training events, and grant funding support. Delivered with partners including Pasture for Life.
• Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) Grants Grant programme helping farmers and land managers undertake projects that protect nature, improve public access, and support the rural economy within the High Weald.
• High Weald Nature and Community Fund Grant programme for not-for-profit organisations supporting nature recovery and community projects within the High Weald National Landscape.
• Schools Grant Scheme Grant programme supporting educational activities and school projects related to the High Weald landscape, wildlife, and conservation.
• Training and Events Program for Land Managers Programme of training events and seminars for land managers, farmers, and community groups covering habitat management, conservation, regenerative agriculture, and landscape stewardship.
• High Weald Heroes School Zone Educational programme and resources for schools enabling pupils to learn about the High Weald landscape, wildlife, and conservation through outdoor and curriculum-linked activities.
• High Weald Landscape Trail Iconic 145 km (95-mile) long-distance walking trail traversing the AONB from east to west, connecting ridge-top villages and historic gardens.
• Self-Guided Walks Collection Collection of downloadable self-guided walking routes ranging from 1 to 9+ miles, including accessible routes for buggies and wheelchairs, covering the High Weald area across Kent, Sussex and Surrey.
• High Weald Storymap Interactive online ArcGIS StoryMap presenting collections of maps and data with text and images, allowing users to explore the landscape's designation, features, and management plan data.

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% of people surveyed enjoy the High Weald countryside (High Weald Public Engagement Survey, 2018)
• +3 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Joint Advisory Committee (JAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA partnership of 15 local authorities covering the High Weald area, together with community, environment and land-based sector representatives. Responsible for preparing and adopting the AONB Management Plan as a statutory document.
• Kent Wildlife TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor wildlife conservation organization managing nature reserves and working with the Partnership on Local Wildlife Site revival projects across Kent.
• Sussex Wildlife TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor wildlife conservation organization managing nature reserves including Rye Harbour and working with the Partnership on Local Wildlife Site revival projects.
• RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManages woodland and heathland reserves including Fore Wood and Broadwater Warren within the High Weald.
• Woodland TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOwns and manages numerous woodland sites within the High Weald including Old Lodge Warren, Snape Wood, and many others.
• National TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManages historic properties and gardens including Batemans, Standen, and Sissinghurst Castle within or near the High Weald.
• Pasture for LifecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership delivering the High Weald Pasture and Profit programme, providing training events on regenerative livestock farming for High Weald farmers.
• The RamblerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the annual High Weald Walking Festival and promotion of walking routes within the landscape.
• Bumblebee Conservation TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting bumblebee conservation activities including events like Bumblebee Safaris at Hole Park Gardens.
• RBG Kew (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExtended partner in the Weald Meadows Partnership contributing expertise to meadow restoration and conservation.
• East Sussex County CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost authority for the High Weald National Landscape Partnership, providing administrative support and housing the Data Protection Officer.
• Weald Meadows PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerContinued conservation work from the original Weald Meadows Initiative (1996-2010), including meadow owners and managers, the High Weald Landscape Trust, and Agrifactors (Southern) Ltd.
• Small Farms Training GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership delivering seminars and training for small farms in the High Weald to help prepare for agricultural scheme changes.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• National Trust: Major partner managing historic properties and gardens (Batemans, Sissinghurst, Standen) within the High Weald; broader heritage and conservation charity with much larger national scale and more diversified funding base.
• Kent Wildlife Trust: Core partner organization within High Weald managing nature reserves and conservation sites; broader wildlife charity with a wider county-wide remit but overlapping conservation expertise and audience.

Direct peers

• Chilterns National Landscape: AONB/National Landscape Conservation Board with comparable governance (Joint Advisory Committee structure), grant-funded operating model, and conservation/land-management advisory mandate similar to High Weald.
• North Pennines National Landscape: AONB/National Landscape partnership operating under the same statutory designation, with similar farmer engagement, regenerative agriculture advisory, and visitor/trail programmes.
• Cranborne Chase National Landscape: AONB/National Landscape partnership with similar small-team operation, grant dependency, farmer advisory programmes, and community engagement structure as High Weald.
• Surrey Hills National Landscape: Overlapping AONB/National Landscape in Surrey with identical statutory designation, conservation mandate, and 15-local-authority style partnership governance as High Weald.
• Nidderdale National Landscape: AONB/National Landscape with comparable governance, grant funding mix, conservation advisory remit, and rural land management focus as High Weald.
• South Downs National Park Authority: Neighbouring protected landscape authority in South East England delivering conservation, planning advice, and visitor services over a comparable geographic mandate under statutory landscape protection legislation.
• Kent Downs National Landscape: Adjacent AONB/National Landscape covering parts of Kent, sharing significant geographic overlap with High Weald and operating under the same statutory framework and Joint Advisory Committee-style governance.
• Cotswolds National Landscape: Largest AONB/National Landscape in England with identical statutory framework, Conservation Board governance, farmer advisory services, and tourism/right-of-way infrastructure comparable to High Weald.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/high-weald-national-landscape

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about High Weald National Landscape