Chesterfield landowner who transformed 270 acres of land into wildlife haven, finalist in countryside awards

Jim Allsop, a finalist in the ‘Working Conservationist’ category, has turned 270 acres of land five minutes from Chesterfield into an oasis for wildlife.

Until recently, Jim had a full-time job in sales at a vehicle auction house. When Monk Wood, a patch of Derbyshire he grew up shooting and beating on, fell into his hands, he started a campaign of nature recovery, intent on boosting biodiversity.

He manages 70 acres of wildflower meadows and has created 35 small ponds and scrapes.

Five miles of hedgerows and shelterbelts have been planted, two miles have been laid, 50,000 trees have been planted, 20 acres of wild bird plots have been established and hundreds of bird nest boxes and duck tubes have been erected.

Talking about Monk Wood Jim said: “I saw a real opportunity to put my stamp on it.

“I'd visited different farms and estates and seen more wildlife on them. And I thought, well, I love wildlife, I love being out in it, why don't I try emulating some of what I'm seeing?”

His first ‘big’ job would drastically change both the look of the landscape and future opportunities. He added: “We discovered we were eligible for a grant to build a logging track – a circuit round the wood.

“It might not sound exciting, but it was a pivotal moment. Up until then, most Saturday work parties would be spent digging a Land Rover out of its latest hole!”

The work has been carried out with the help of an ever-growing group of like-minded friends with community engagement central to Jim’s ethos.

He said: “Every spare hour we had for the next two months, was spent chopping, cutting, carting and carrying. It was a momentous effort.

"People have been my number one resource here. There’s no doubt about that.”

Jim added: “I’m very lucky to be surrounded by people who share my mindset. Not least my wife, Catherine.”

Schöffel Country and the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust awards recognise those who are improving the countryside.

More than 80 nominations were received earlier this year with 24 finalists shortlisted across six categories.

The panel of 28 judges have spent the spring and summer visiting each finalist to observe their conservation work in action.

The winner of each category will be announced at awards ceremony on Monday, November 3.