Soils

Sand dominates the soil at Abbey Farm, in places making up over 70% of the soil. Stones, formed from flint that lies in the chalk, are also very common.

Abbey Farm has three main soil types:

• Barrow Series is on the flat land at the top of the farm. It is deep and sandy. The soil does not hold much water, so drought is a major threat to crops here. However, it drains quickly after wet weather so we can get onto this land early in the spring. This soil is prone to wind erosion
• Newmarket 2 is the soil of the chalk scarp. It is thin soil over chalk. It is sandy with many flints, but less prone to drought because the chalk holds water well. This soil is on sloping land so can be affected by water erosion
• Isleham 2 occurs in the valley floor among the chalk springs, streams and ponds. It is prone to being flooding and is sandy with many flint stones. At Abbey Farm, all of this soil type is under permanent pasture