A WILDLIFE charity has begun its work at a donor-funded farm near Winchester.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust (HIWWT) have moved in the first cows and sheep at Hockley Meadows Farm near Twyford after the charity successfully purchased the land.

A fundraising appeal to help meet the £200,000 price of the 31-acre farm exceeded its target, with days to go before the deadline.

The Trust received more than 1,600 donations totalling £187,000, followed by pledges for £45,000 from charity foundations and corporate supporters.

Now on site, the Trust is using the land to support the traditional wildlife-friendly farming methods that have shaped the Itchen Valley’s water meadows.

Key to this is the use of cattle to lightly graze the land - a widely-used land management practice for maintaining water meadow habitats and ensuring the greatest diversity of plants and other wildlife.

Debbie Tann, chief executive at HIWWT said: "Being able to move onto the site is a momentous occasion for us and I would just like to again thank the 1600 people whose kind donations made this happen.

"Some of our British White cattle will be making the meadows their home this week, and later in the spring we will be using the farm for lambing. It’s a really exciting opportunity for the Wildlife Trust to consolidate and expand our conservation work in the Itchen Valley."

Species set to benefit from the purchase include birds like kingfisher, swallow and barn owls, mammals like water vole and otter, and other species like marsh marigold and the rare southern damselfly.

The additional funds raised will be used to support the ongoing maintenance and management of the farm and other nature reserves.

Contributions to the appeal included charitable donations from organisations including Banister Charitable Trust, The Southern Co-operative, and The Calleva Foundation.

The Southern Co-operative donated £10,000 as part of their wider commitment to the Wildlife Trusts in the region.