An “amazing” abundance of 5,290 butterflies, including rare small blues and dingy skippers, has appeared on land that was barren wheatfields just two years ago.

The speed with which nature has bounced back at Halnaker Hill farm in West Sussex has surprised experts after 133 hectares (330 acres) of intensively farmed land were turned into a commercial nature restoration project.

The farm’s relatively unproductive soils on the South Downs were cropped for wheat for 40 years, but after a final harvest in 2024 the arable land was sown with a special wildflower mix. Seven kilometres of hedgerows have been planted, seven hectares (17 acres) of new woodland created, three ponds dug and 54 hectares (133 acres) of herbal leys seeded, with carefully controlled mob-grazing on existing chalk grassland to improve its wildlife and biodiversity.