NATURE ACROSS THE DOWNS
THE DOWNS JOURNAL
Discover the wildlife, plants and seasons shaping our Wiltshire landscape.
LIFE ON THE DOWNS
The Wiltshire Downs form part of a globally rare chalk landscape, supporting an exceptional variety of plants, birds, insects and other wildlife. More than 70% of Britain’s chalk grassland has disappeared, making the habitat that remains increasingly important.
Nearby Salisbury Plain contains the largest surviving area of semi-natural dry grassland in the European Union. Through The Downs Journal, we record the wildlife found around the distillery, follow the changing seasons and explore the plants growing across the Downs and within our botanical garden.
Some of these plants flavour our spirits. Others provide food and shelter for pollinators, birds and other wildlife. Together, they reveal the close relationship between the distillery, this ancient landscape and the conservation work helping to protect it.
THE DOWNS JOURNAL | DOWNTON DISTILLERY
WILDLIFE ON THE DOWNS | THE IVY BEE | AUTUMNAL POLLINATOR
Ivy bees are now active across our gardens, emerging as ivy begins to flower. Often mistaken for honey bees, these striking autumn visitors are solitary pollinators. Each female creates her...
Distillery Plants | Planting new Grove.
Last month marked an important milestone in our juniper rewilding project. Twenty-five homegrown juniper saplings left the safety of our botanical garden and began a new chapter on the Wiltshire...
Education | Wiltshire Downs | Cranborne Chase
Cranborne Chase is one of England's most remarkable landscapes and the place we are fortunate to call home. Spanning parts of Wiltshire, Dorset and Hampshire, this vast area of rolling...
