HEF6: Manage historic and archaeological features on grassland (updated for SFI26)

This is a Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026 ( SFI26 ) action. Read the SFI26 scheme information to understand what you’re required to do under an SFI26 agreement and how to apply.

Select ‘See all updates’ at the start of this page to find out how this action has changed for SFI26 compared with SFI24 .

For SFI24 actions, read the  SFI24 agreement holder’s information .

Duration

3 years

How much you’ll be paid

£55 per hectare ( ha ) per year

Action’s aim

This action’s aim is that there’s a well-managed, intact grass sward or vegetation throughout the year which:

covers an historic or archaeological feature

has minimal bare ground, scrub, bracken or pernicious weeds

The purpose of this is to:

protect historic and archaeological features

help maintain and conserve landscape character

Where you can do this action

You can do this action on agricultural land that’s:

identified on your SFI Historic Environment Farm Environment Record ( HEFER ) as containing an historic or archaeological feature – you must get an SFI HEFER before you apply for this action

an eligible land type (as defined in section 5.1.1 ‘Eligible land types’ in the SFI26 scheme information)

registered with an eligible land cover on your digital maps

declared with a land use code that’s compatible with the eligible land cover

You cannot do this action on land parcels of more than 15ha above the moorland line.

Eligible land

Eligible land type Eligible land cover Compatible land use code

Permanent grassland Permanent grassland PG01

Eligibility of protected land

Sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs): Eligible – you must:

give notice to Natural England to get SSSI consent before the Rural Payments Agency ( RPA ) offer you an SFI26 agreement

have received SSSI consent from Natural England before you do this action (read section 10.1 ‘SSSI consent’ in the SFI26 scheme information for more details)

Historic and archaeological features: Eligible – you must get an SFI HEFER before you apply for this action (read section 5.3 ’Land with historic or archaeological features’ in the SFI26 scheme information to find out how to do this).

Available area you can enter into this action

Total or part of the available area in a land parcel. It’s your responsibility to check that the area you enter is eligible for this action.

You must do this action on the area entered into your SFI26 agreement. If something happens which means you cannot complete this action on some or all of the area, you must tell the RPA in writing as soon as possible. Read section 12.2 ‘What to do if you cannot comply with your agreement’ in the SFI26 scheme information to find out how to do this.

Rotational or static action

This action is static. This means you must do it at the same location each year of this action’s duration.

What to do

You must manage the area containing the historic or archaeological feature in a way that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim. This includes:

maintaining a continuous grass sward or vegetation cover

minimising bare ground, scrub, bracken and pernicious weeds

You must not:

plough, cultivate, re-seed, harrow or roll the grassland

carry out supplementary feeding on or within around 6 metres (m) of the historic or archaeological feature

locate vehicle or stock access routes within around 6m of the historic or archaeological feature (existing surfaced tracks can be used)

Before you remove scrub or trees, you must get any relevant consents, permissions or licences. For example, you may need to apply for:

a felling licence  from the Forestry Commission

a forestry environmental impact assessment ( EIA ) from the Forestry Commission

an agriculture EIA ‘screening decision’ from Natural England

Read section 10 ‘Get any regulatory consents before you do your SFI actions’ in the SFI26 scheme information.

When to do it

You must do this action from its start date, throughout each year of this action’s 3-year duration.

How to do it

It’s up to you how you do this action, as long as you:

follow this action’s requirements – these are identified by a ‘must’

do the action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim

You may find it helpful to read the ‘advice to help you do this action’, but it’s not part of this action’s requirements.

Evidence to keep

You must keep evidence to show what you’ve done to complete this action, such as:

field operations at a land parcel level and associated invoices

photographs or other documentation

If it’s not clear that you’ve done this action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve its aim, we may ask for this evidence. You must supply the evidence if we ask for it.

Other actions or options you can do on the same area as this action

You can do the following actions or options on the same area in a land parcel as this action.

Scheme Action or option codes

SFI 2026 actions OFC1, OFC2, OFM1, OFM2, PRF2

SFI 2024 actions CIPM1, CMOR1, CNUM1, CSAM1, OFC1, OFC2, OFM1, OFM2, PRF2

SFI 2023 actions IPM1, MOR1, NUM1, SAM1

CSHT actions from 2025 CPAC1, CSP13, CSP14, CSP15, CSP20, CSP21, CSP9, CSW18, CSW20, CWS1, CWS3

CS options OR1, OR2, OT1, OT2

ES options No ES revenue options

If an action or option cannot be located on the same area, you may be able to do it on a different area in the same land parcel. Read section 5.6 ‘Land that’s already in other funding schemes or grants’ in the SFI26 scheme information for more details.

You can do the following actions or options on the eligible boundaries of a land parcel entered into this action:

SFI 2026 actions: CHRW2, BND1, BND2 and WBD2

SFI 2024 actions: CHRW1, CHRW2, CHRW3, BND1, BND2 and WBD2

SFI 2023 actions: HRW1, HRW2, HRW3

CSHT actions: CHRW4

CS options: BE3 (management of hedgerows)

Advice to help you do this action

The following advice may help you to do this action, but it’s not part of this action’s requirements.

Managing historic and archaeological features on grassland

To help you achieve this action’s aim, you can graze the grassland with livestock or cut it.

To support grazing you may need capital items such as:

fencing

gates

troughs

You may be able to apply for  capital grants  to help you do this.

You’ll need to check if you need consent to install these items on a scheduled monument. Read  section 10 ‘Get any regulatory consents before you do your SFI actions’  of the  SFI26  scheme information for more details.

Grazing grassland

You can manage livestock to avoid:

overgrazing, which can cause erosion or bare patches

undergrazing, which can cause scrub to develop

Grazing with smaller and lighter livestock (such as sheep) can:

reduce the risk of damage to the historic or archaeological feature

minimise harm on steep slopes or wetter soils

To reduce poaching and erosion, you can:

reduce livestock numbers or use lighter animals, such as sheep

manage the way livestock move around historic or archaeological features by relocating gates or water troughs

remove heavier livestock like cattle in the winter

Cutting grassland

If you manage the grassland by mowing or strimming, try to avoid the ground becoming compacted.

To minimise damage to the historic or archaeological features, you can avoid:

cutting when the ground is too wet

using flail mowers

clipping the features by mowing too close

mowing on steep earthworks

Using higher cutting heights can avoid scalping. Where possible, try to mow at right-angles on linear earthworks, rather than following the feature.

Adding manure or fertiliser

If you apply manure or fertiliser, try to avoid causing damage to the historic or archaeological feature with the machinery you use.

Wherever possible, keep manure heaps away from the historic or archaeological features as:

these can create bare patches when removed and encourage weeds

runoff from stored manure can damage buried historic or archaeological features

Managing plants and scrub

Plants with deep roots can damage underground historic or archaeological features. These include:

bracken

nettles

Japanese knotweed

scrub and trees

To prevent damage to the historic or archaeological features, you can:

control vegetations with hand tools and chemicals, instead of mechanical cutting or crushing

apply chemicals on foot or use light machinery, to avoid ground compaction and disturbance

cut and treat stems, rather than uproot or dig out plants

Where possible, you can remove scrub or trees to prevent damage to the historic or archaeological features. You’ll usually need a felling licence from the Forestry Commission before you can fell growing trees. Read  section 10 ‘Get any regulatory consents before you do your SFI actions’  of the  SFI26  scheme information for more details.

Eligible land

Eligible land type Eligible land cover Compatible land use code

Permanent grassland Permanent grassland PG01