Farmland can be broadly defined as land under cultivation that is tilled at least once every five years (Wicks & Cloughley 1998). This can include land in set-aside, or temporary grassland (an agricultural ley).

The data used for audit purposes fell under the following MAFF land use headings: arable, ‘other’ (e.g. vegetables and feed), bare fallow, grassland (excluding rough grazing), rough grazing, set aside and woodland on agricultural land. Orchards have also been identified.

In 1997 MAFF estimated approximately 12,872 ha of farmland in Greater London (seeTable 1), 529 ha of which was under set-aside. The total area of farmland in London represents 8% of the total area of Greater London. There are estimated to be 1,156,114 ha of farmland in Southeast England; London accounts for just 1% of this. MAFF’s 1997 figures show that the majority of farmland in London is made up of arable (27%) and grassland (44%, excluding rough grassland).

The overall farmland resource in London declined by 30% between 1965 and 1997. This included declines in arable of 42%, orchards 90%, bare fallow 75%, grassland (excluding rough grazing) 22% and rough grazing 39% (see Table 1).

Data is available for the farmland resource in the following boroughs: Barnet, Bromley, Enfield, Havering, and Hillingdon. Bromley contains approximately 30% of London’s agricultural land followed by Havering (24%), Hillingdon (13%), Enfield (12%) and Barnet (6%) (see Table 2 and the Map). Approximately 85% of Greater London’s farmland resource is contained within these five boroughs.

The intensification of farming over the last 20-30 years (and the reduction in farmed land in London) has led to significant nation-wide declines in many species dependent upon habitats associated with ‘traditionally’ farmed landscape. This has led to farmland habitats being highlighted as a priority for nature conservation by the UK Biodiversity Steering Group (1995). Of particular nature conservation importance are traditional hay meadows, old hedgerows and ponds, and farmland birds such as tree sparrow and skylark.

Although most of the modern-day farmed landscape supports far fewer species than unimproved pasture and traditionally farmed arable land (which allowed for a fallow period and was less dependent upon pesticides and artificial fertilisers), there are still a number of species which are associated with farmland. In London several bird species are, in part, dependent upon farmland; corn bunting, yellowhammer and wintering golden plover are largely confined to the capital’s remaining farmland. Farmland also supports important populations of tree sparrow, grey partridge, lapwing and skylark. Most of these species are especially dependent upon hedgerows and other features such as small woodlands, rough headlands and ditches within the farmland matrix.