Cattle return to Farthing Downs
17 cows and 9 calves make the move.
settling down to that age-old task of munching grass.
Spring is here at last. The grass has started growing, and after a long winter in the barn, the City of London Corporation’s herd of Sussex Red cattle are finally returning to Farthing Downs (Coulsdon, Surrey).
Bob Warnock, the City of London Corporation’s Superintendent at Farthing Downs, said:
Turning out the cattle on Farthing Downs
“The cattle are always a little frisky having been inside over the winter months, so you might see the calves having a good run about over the first day or two before they settle down to that end-old task of munching grass.
“Not only do cattle enjoy this wonderful fresh food source, but it helps maintain our open downland – for all south-easterners to enjoy. It also helps ensure a rich diversity of wild flowers and grasses which are excellent for skylarks and grassland creepy crawlies.”
Traditional grazing methods help to conserve the landscape for which Farthing Downs is recognised as a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest for having the most extensive area of semi-natural downland habitats remaining in Greater London – in particular the species-rich chalk and neutral grassland.
Using cattle to graze, rather than machinery for mowing, allows more flowers to flourish. Many insects rely on these flowers, including a number of species of butterfly. The longer tufts left as the cattle graze offer shelter for insects, lizards and small mammals, where mowing would remove this essential cover.
A long history of human activity has been recorded on Farthing Downs with archaeological finds and features dating from the Neolithic, Iron Age and Roman periods. The beauty spot was cultivated up to the 2nd century AD and afterwards used as pasture for grazing animals.
Apart from grassland, the site contains a diversity of other habitats including scrub, old hedgerows and pockets of ancient woodland which support a wide variety of species of plants and animals.
ABOUT THE CITY OF LONDON CORPORATION
The City of London Corporation has three roles: we support London’s communities by working in partnership with neighbouring boroughs on economic regeneration and skills projects. The City of London Corporation’s charity, the City Bridge Trust, makes grants of more than £15 million annually to charitable projects across London and we also support education – with three independent schools and three City Academies – plus a primary school and the world-renowned Guildhall School of Music and Drama. We also help look after key London heritage and green spaces including Tower Bridge, Museum of London, Barbican Arts Centre, City gardens, Hampstead Heath, Epping Forest, Burnham Beeches, and important ‘commons’ in south London. And – with its heart in London’s Square Mile – we also support and promote the ‘City’ as a world-leading financial and business hub, with outward and inward business delegations, high-profile civic events, research-driven policies and a long-term approach. See www.cityoflondon.gov.uk for much more on our uniquely diverse role, including the City of London Police, etc.
ABOUT FARTHING DOWNS
Farthing Downs and New Hill is a 95 hectare (235 acre) area of chalk grassland lying within the London green belt. Farthing Downs was designated in 1975 as part of the Farthing Downs and Happy Valley Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for having the ‘most extensive area of semi-natural downland habitats remaining in Greater London… in particular the species-rich chalk and neutral grasslands…’ A long history of human activity has been recorded on the site with archaeological finds and features dating from the Neolithic, Iron Age and Roman periods. Farthing Downs was cultivated up to the 2nd century AD and afterwards used as pasture for grazing animals. Apart from grassland, the site contains a diversity of other habitats including scrub, old hedgerows and pockets of ancient woodland which support a wide variety of species of plants and animals.
