Our history

20 years of success!

The Countryside Restoration Trust was established in 1993 by the Chairman, Robin Page, the late conservationist Sir Laurens van der Post and the late artist and conservationist, Gordon Beningfield.

Launched in response to growing fears about intensive and industrialised farming, the CRT initially aimed to purchase land which had been intensively farmed, in order to restore it to a living countryside, rather than a lifeless food factory. As the CRT has grown its aims have broadened to encompass purchasing farmland and woodland where traditional farming methods, wildlife habitat and biodiversity are under threat.

The CRT promotes a working countryside using sensitive and sympathetic farming practices that encourage and protect wildlife to produce quality food.