Historic maps reveal 99 per cent loss of meadows in the South Downs countryside

Historic maps reveal 99 per cent loss of meadows in the South Downs countryside - University of Portsmouth

New study shows centuries of farming and policy change have reshaped the rural landscape in the English National Park

A new study from the University of Portsmouth has uncovered a dramatic collapse in traditional meadowland across the lower Rother catchment in the South Downs, West Sussex, with losses of up to 99.9 per cent since the mid-19th century.

Using digitised Victorian tithe maps of the catchment, researchers compared historical records from around 1840 with modern land cover data from 2021. The results reveal how shifts in farming practices, land ownership and environmental policy have transformed the English countryside.

The study found that:

Meadows have declined by between 75.6 per cent and 99.9 per cent, representing the greatest loss of any land cover type.
Unimproved grassland, once rich in biodiversity, has fallen by 86.5 per cent.
Arable land has reduced by 45.5 per cent, while improved grassland has increased by 135.8 per cent.
Woodland has expanded by 56.3 per cent.
Although the total area of common land has barely changed (down 1.7 per cent), its use has shifted from shared grazing to largely recreational woodland.

Dr Cat Hudson, from the School of Environment and Life Sciences at the University of Portsmouth, said: “Our findings show just how much the English countryside has changed since the 1840s. Meadows, once vital for haymaking, grazing and wildlife, have almost vanished. Understanding this transformation is essential if we want to restore biodiversity and build more sustainable landscapes.”

The team’s analysis demonstrates how agricultural intensification, enclosure, and later government subsidy schemes have gradually reshaped farmland since the Industrial Revolution. Once-common communal meadows and pastures gave way to private, more intensively managed fields. This process improved productivity but reduced habitat diversity and increased risks of soil erosion, biodiversity loss, and water quality degradation, which remain pressing issues for land managers and policymakers.

Posted On: 06/11/2025

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