A radical step to end farming on a large Cotswold estate run by the National Trust (NT) and turn the land into a new wilderness attraction looks likely to be under way.

Land at the NT's Newark Park estate, near Wotton under Edge, was leased to farmer Steve Redman with three generations of his family managing the business since the 1960. The land's use is predominantly sheep grazing with some mixed arable alongside the famed Tudor hunting lodge's parkland, gardens and deciduous woodland.

But with the tenant now having vacated, local speculation has mounted over the 750-acre estate's  future use. Part of the estate's southern boundary, in the Ozleworth valley, meets land owned by Swiss legal professionals Martin and Judith Mueller, who have already begun to implement environmental initiatives at their own £12m estate.

Amid growing rumours that the farmland on the key Cotswold venue is destined for a new purpose, a local agricultural worker, who asked not to be named, told Punchline-Gloucester.com: "The fact that the current tenant has left after decades does present the Trust with a moment to think about what it's already doing elsewhere and, given what it has said about environmental targets, Newark looks like the prime estate for making that happen."

Last summer, Farmers Weekly reported on a growing trend of West County farmers exiting NT land where rewilding is set to be implemented. Across Devon and Cornwall, the magazine interviewed farmers who have been told their tenancies were not being renewed because the land would be used for a new purpose - with food production no longer being the prime aim.

George Dunn, chief executive of the Tenant Farmers Association, said the NT was focusing on what it considers is needed for biodiversity net gain and carbon reduction – but was "wrong headed" in the plan.

He told the magazine: "It doesn't see these farms as particularly important from an agricultural perspective... It is a vanity project driven by the current media frenzy around rewilding, which in our view is not based on sound science."

But in a recent interview with Yorkshire Bylines, leading NT spokeswoman Celia Richardson denied that the Trust has a did not have a specific rewilding policy.

She said: "Rewilding means different things to different people and we want to be really clear about our approach to land management... Nature-friendly land management and farming are not mutually exclusive. A healthy natural environment underpins food production and high-quality food is produced from nature-rich land."

More than 80% of the 250,000+ hectares in the NT's care is farmed, she said, adding that farmers remain the NT's our "allies" with a "a vital role in driving many of the changes that are needed".

She added: "We're exploring more ways to make all the land we care for healthier and more resilient, often working with farmers to put nature at the heart of it. This helps protect water and soil, capture carbon, create bigger wildlife habitats and provide public access, while making sure farmers can run successful businesses and produce great food."

Punchline approached the NT for comment on specific plans for the future at Newark Park. We were told: "The National Trust is in discussions regarding the future of Newark Farm at Newark Park. No decisions have been made and any future plans will be shared at the appropriate time.'

In 2020, County Life reported that modern farming practices and the destruction of the countryside has led to a massive 97% decline in wildflower meadows since the 1930s – with the Cotswolds particularly affected. Wildflowe meadows which were once "abundant" in the Cotswolds, made up 40% of its landscape – but that figure had fallen to around 1.5%.

● Rewilding Britain defines rewilding as "the large-scale restoration of ecosystems to the point where nature can take care of itself. It seeks to reinstate natural processes and, where appropriate and when the time is right, reintroduce missing species - allowing them to shape the landscape and its habitats. The campaign group said: "Rewilding offers hope and the opportunity to give nature (and us) a fighting chance - bringing it back to life, saving wildlife, tackling climate breakdown, and benefiting people and communities. It's about moving from nature protection to recovery and restoration."