Suffolk extreme heat impact on historic gardens and landscapes including Dunwich Heath and Ickworth near Bury St Edmunds sees National Trust call for climate change action

Record-breaking temperatures and prolonged dry weather are affecting Suffolk's landscapes, gardens and wildlife, causing historic water features to dry up, sparking wildfires and taking a toll on animals, according to the National Trust.

With temperatures rising again this week and after the driest July on record for parts of England, the conservation charity said this summer’s exceptional conditions were a wake-up call to cut emissions and adapt.

For example, in Suffolk at Dunwich Heath, 60 to 70 per cent of heather at the rare lowland heath site is struggling to flower.

Meanwhile, much of the country remains tinder-dry with fire risk reaching ‘exceptional’ levels last month. Several wildfires have broken out on trust land in recent weeks.

The trust is continuing to adapt to increasing temperatures, including selecting drought-resistant plants in its gardens, increasing tree cover and shade and creating wetlands.

Keith Jones, national climate change advisor for the National Trust, said: “We shouldn’t be surprised by these temperatures, it’s what the science has been saying for decades. But even with years of planning, some of the effects are stark and we are still learning the precise impacts extreme weather events like this can have.

“At the trust we’re taking action to make sure our sites are ready for future changes, from making our landscapes rich in nature, our rivers cooler and our gardens more resilient to helping our buildings cope with excessive heat.

“But we must cut emissions too. The UK still holds the COP presidency and the next Prime Minister should put this at the top of their to-do list as COP27 approaches in November. This has to be a watershed moment, where we make a decisive shift from words to action.”

Some of the impacts reported by National Trust staff include:

At Ickworth, near Bury St Edmunds, the ranger team is predicting 50 to 70 per cent of yearling trees could be lost this year, even with watering. Elsewhere entire hawthorn shrubs have turned yellow and sycamore leaves have gone crispy and are beginning to fall several months early.

At Dunwich Heath, heather is not flowering and the ranger team is warning food sources would be scarce for wildlife this autumn.

Lloyd James, area ranger for the Suffolk and Essex Coast, said: “Around 60 to 70 per cent of the heather at Dunwich Heath isn’t flowering this year.

"Bell heather has gone over very quickly in the dryness, which will impact the common and silver-studded blue butterflies that feed from the flowers.

"The main heather, common ling, is also barely flowering due to the extreme heat and dry conditions. Add to that a population explosion of heather beetle grubs that are sucking out the last few drops of moisture.

"Blackberries are also wilting and struggling to swell fruit, which is a worrying sign that food will be scarce for wildlife this autumn.”

Staff across the region also found dead animals in the aftermath of July’s heatwave – including young birds, mice and frogs – while there is also a noticeable decline in the number of beneficial insects as even late flowering meadow plants such a vetches and clovers have dried up, preventing continuous nectar flow for insects including bees.

The heatwave has underlined the importance of the trust’s work to adapt its places to climate extremes.

Examples of the solutions in place:

At Melford Hall, the team is adding organic matter at the planting stage and establishing an annual programme of heavily mulching garden borders.

Countryside sites are also adapting. The trust is introducing 20 million new trees by 2030, which will include plantings to provide shade for wildlife and livestock, and for visitors.

Ranger teams are also restoring landscapes and making them wetter in places.

The trust is also seeing early impacts on its historic buildings and is exploring strategies to help them cope with excessive heat, such as shading and passive ventilation, while ensuring they are warm during winter months to reduce emissions.

The charity says it was also learning from cultural institutions in countries already dealing with regular extreme conditions.

Keith added: “The recent temperatures and worrying reports about the decline in nature can feel overwhelming, but there are things people can do to help their local green spaces adapt and to feel more involved in the solutions. Practising sustainable gardening is one way of doing this – avoiding peat based composts and insecticides, installing water butts, creating habitats for wildlife and choosing drought tolerant plants.”