CGS4: Herbal leys
Source: gov.uk (2025-09-10)

What you must do to get paid for this CSHT action and advice on how to do it.

This action is part of Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT). You must read the CSHT guidance (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/countryside-stewardship-higher-tier-csht) before you apply.

Duration

5 years

How much you’ll be paid

£382 per hectare (ha) per year

Action’s aim

This action’s aim is that there’s an established herbal ley with:
- a mixture of grasses, legumes and herbs or wildflowers to provide varied root structures
- areas of flowering plants from late spring and during summer months
The purpose of this is to:
- produce a high volume of forage with minimal use of inorganic fertiliser
- improve resilience to drought
- help improve and maintain the soil’s structure, carbon, biology and fertility
Where you can do this action

You can do this action on eligible land that’s located below the moorland line .

You cannot do this action on:
- a site of special scientific interest (SSSI)
- land that contains historic or archaeological features identified in your Historic Environment Farm Environment Record (HEFER) assessment
- peaty soils – read the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) guidance on characteristics of different soils (https://ahdb.org.uk/knowledge-library/characteristics-of-different-soils) for more information
- a priority habitat, including good quality semi-improved grassland – these are mapped on the Priority Habitat Inventory (https://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.html?chosenLayers=bapundertergrassIndex&box=-1104152:-6459:1904152:1406459) on Magic.
Coastal and floodplain grazing marsh that is managed as improved grassland may be eligible for this action, if agreed with your Natural England adviser.

Eligible land

You can do this action on land that’s:
- an eligible land type
- registered with an eligible land cover on your digital maps
- declared with a land use code (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/land-use-codes-rural-payments) which is compatible with the eligible land cover
Available area you can enter into this action

Total or part of the available area in the land parcel.

Rotational or static action

This action is rotational or static. This means you can either:
- move the action’s location as agreed with your Natural England adviser
- keep it at the same location
What to do

Your Natural England adviser will assess your land. They’ll work with you to adapt and agree the activities you must do to achieve this action’s aim. All mandatory activities will be set out in your agreement document.

To get paid for this action, you must:
- establish a sward in the first 12 months of agreement that includes at least 5 species of grass, 4 species of legumes and 4 species of herb or wildflowers – you should agree a seed mix and minimum cover of each species with your Natural England adviser (you can maintain an existing herbal ley if it meets these requirements)
- maintain the required area of mixed sward for the remainder of the agreement
- re-establish the sward (if necessary) on the same or a different field
- manage the sward throughout the year by cutting or grazing
- shut the field up for an agreed period before cutting or grazing – typically for 5 weeks between May and the end of July
- keep a monthly record of stock numbers grazing on land parcels and provide this record if requested
You must not:
- apply any inorganic fertilisers containing nitrogen
- apply pesticides – you may be able to use herbicides to spot-treat or weed-wipe for the control of injurious weeds, invasive non-native plant species, nettles or other plants if this has been agreed with your Natural England adviser
When to do it

You must do this action each year of its duration.

Evidence to keep

You must keep evidence to show what you have done to complete this action. If it’s not clear that you have done this action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve its aim, the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) may ask for this evidence. You must supply the evidence if they 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.

Some actions or options can only be done on the same area if they’re done at a different time of year to this action.

You can do the following actions or options on the eligible boundaries of a land parcel entered into this action:
- CSHT actions: CWT3, CHRW4
- SFI 2024 actions: CHRW1, CHRW2, CHRW3, BND1, BND2, WBD10
- SFI 2023 actions: HRW1, HRW2, HRW3
- CS option BE3 (management of hedgerows)
Consents, permissions and licensing requirements

To apply for this action, you’ll need:
- Scheduled Monument Consent (https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/planning/consents/smc/) from Historic England for any work on scheduled monuments
- consent from Natural England for any activity on land designated as a site of special scientific interest (SSSI) (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/protected-areas-sites-of-special-scientific-interest#get-consent-to-carry-out-operations-on-your-land)
You may need to:
- agree an implementation plan or feasibility study with your Natural England adviser
- get advice from your Forestry Commission woodland officer or Natural England adviser if you have other historic or archaeological features on your agreement land
- get a wildlife licence (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/wildlife-licences) from Natural England if your activities affect a protected species or their habitat
- apply for an Environmental Impact Assessment screening or consent decision if you intend to reseed existing permanent grassland
All historic and archaeological features (including scheduled monuments) are identified in your Historic Environment Farm Environment Record (HEFER).

If you’re a tenant, it’s your responsibility to check whether your tenancy agreement allows you to complete what’s required in the actions you choose. You may need your landlord’s consent.

Capital grants to support this action

If you need to complete an implementation plan or a feasibility study before you apply, you can apply for capital grants plans funding (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/capital-items-guidance-for-applicants-and-agreement-holders#capital-grants-plans).

You can also apply for capital items (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/capital-items-guidance-for-applicants-and-agreement-holders) to help you achieve the action’s aims. Your Natural England adviser will discuss eligible capital items with you.

Advice to help you do this action

The following optional advice may help you to do this action. Your agreement document will set out all the activities you must do.

Choosing a site

It is not appropriate to use this action on semi-improved or unimproved permanent pasture.

This action could benefit:

permanent grassland which has been re-sown with productive grass or other herbaceous forage

arable and temporary grassland

Choosing a seed mix

If you want to grow a high-quality herbal ley the seed mix will usually include at least:

5 grass species, such as cocksfoot, festulolium, meadow fescue, perennial ryegrass, smooth-stalked meadow grass, tall fescue and timothy

4 legume species, such as alsike clover, bird’s-foot-trefoil, lucerne, red clover, sainfoin and white clover

4 herb species, such as burnet, chicory, ribwort plantain, sheep’s parsley and yarrow

Avoid a mix where festulolium and perennial ryegrass make up more than 70% by weight of the total seed mix.

Ideally, the legume and herb seeds will make up at least 25% by weight of the total seed mix.

A seed mix that provides a sward with a greater diversity of species will be more resilient and more successful in variable weather conditions

Chicory is a highly productive species, eaten by cattle and sheep. It is also effective in protecting livestock against internal parasites. It’s better suited to grazing than cutting as its stout stem is difficult to dry and can damage bale wrapping material.

Your Natural England adviser will tell you what requirements the seed mix must meet. Your seed supplier can help you choose a seed mix which meets these requirements and that is most suitable for:

your land

local conditions

how you plan to manage the ley

Establishing herbal leys

Herbal leys work best as part of a crop rotation.

For best results, you need fertile and healthy soil. The ideal target pH is 6 to 7 – herbal leys perform better at the higher end of this range. Choose fields that with a phosphorus index of 2 and potassium index of 2-.

You’ll need the soil structure to be in good condition and free from issues such as compaction.

Try to minimise weeds and existing grass when establishing herbal leys. Herbal leys do not compete well with these more vigorous species during the establishment phase.

Due to the presence of herbicide sensitive herbs and legumes, options for chemical weed control within the herbal ley are limited. As a result, it is strongly recommended to sow into weed free (clean) ground.

Herbal leys need a temperature of at least 8 to 10 degrees Celsius for successful germination and establishment so do not sow too early in the spring or too late in the summer.

Try to sow when a period of warm moist conditions is expected.

Good seed-soil contact is essential given the small size of many seeds. Create a fine and firm seedbed and shallow-sow the seeds, ideally 5mm but no more than 10mm deep, followed by plenty of rolling.

Where livestock are available, allow a light graze when the new ley is rooted enough to withstand the pull test. This is when the leaf material snaps off without uprooting, typically 6 to 8 weeks after germination. This will encourage deeper rooting and tillering of grasses

If you are managing establishment by cutting, cut high, at least 8 to 10cm from the ground. Avoid over-handling, particularly in hot weather, to minimise protein loss from dropping leaves.

Maintaining herbal leys

You can maintain herbal leys by grazing them with livestock or cutting them, or both. Rest the herbal ley from grazing and cutting to:

maintain productivity and species diversity for as long as possible

allow flowers to open and provide a source of pollen and nectar for insects

They fit well with rotational grazing but not set-stocking.

Be aware that white and red clover can cause bloat, particularly in cattle.

It can take up to 4 years for the roots to grow enough to improve soil structure and fertility.

Herbal leys include agricultural varieties of herb and legume species which are productive but relatively short lived. You will typically need to re-establish the ley every 4 to 5 years.