We currently graze a number of sites in the Chilterns, including common land, chalk grassland and wild flower meadows.

Commons

Why do we graze common land?

Our family have farmed at Turville Heath for hundreds of years, possibly since Henry VIII formed the St Albans Estate. The history of Turville Heath is very similar to most commons and heathland across southern England.

The manorial wasteland was available for the local people to procure various products, such as firewood and bracken for bedding and graze animals (usually in small numbers). This was widely practised and in lean years the common has kept our family from perishing. My grandfather grazed sheep and cattle on Turville Heath up until the late 1960's when he retired. This corresponded with the outbreak of myxomatosis, the rabbit killing disease. With very low deer numbers the common became overgrown with scrub in just two decades. This has had a very positve effect; there were very few trees on the Heath and the period of 30 years of little grazing has led to an abundance of wild trees, particularly oak, ash and hawthorn. Sycamore is also widespread which has a negative effect on heathland vegetation, but the grey squirrel, deer and our woodburners are slowly reducing these. 

The situation we have now is more a wood pasture providing a mixture of open heath and woodland margins which is ideal for wildlife and public amenity. Since 1995 we have been making hay in front of the farm which has maintained the best part of the original heath vegetation.   

Turville Heath is under three separate ownerships. The southern side is mown by the owner and the eastern side is unmanaged at present. What this produces is a direct comparison of the different regimes. Come along in July and have a walk around. Please send us feedback on which area you preferred to walk in; grazed, mown or unmanaged.

Until the foot and mouth crisis of 2001 we had started grazing sheep on Turville Heath in compartments of electric fencing. This was successful with only one very minor dog incident. In 2009 the sheep returned, grazing the common once again. Hebridean and Jacob sheep are grazed in compartments of about 100x100yards. Each compartment has two self closing access gates to facilitate pedestrian access. This is not a legal requirement, but the whole idea of grazing is to enhance the open areas of the Heath for both conservation and public amenity. For very little effort we can boast that there is no restriction of access at any time.

Hebridean and Jacob sheep grazing on Turville Heath. The gates and the warning signs can be seen from a distance but the wire is barely visible. Dog walkers can see the hazard well in advance.

The Heath was grazed intensively until the early 1960’s and is still almost entirely fenced around the perimeter. The construction of three cattle grids would facilitate free grazing over the entire 45 acres.  Whilst to many this would seem the obvious solution it is far from ideal for the following reasons:

• The roads across the Heath are fast roads and the chance of collisions with livestock is high.
• The Heath is now managed as a wood-pasture with some areas to be left ungrazed.
• If cattle are free grazed, some visitors feel intimidated and avoid using the Heath.
• If sheep are free grazed, some dog owners would feel nervous about visiting the Heath.
• The semi-wooded state of the Heath would make regular stock checks almost impossible.
• At some point a garden gate would be left open. Twenty five sheep in an ornate garden is no laughing matter.
• Rustling and shooting from roads is becoming more common as meat prices rise. Free grazing animals would be vulnerable to this crime.
• There would be strong opposition to cattle grids; they are expensive to install and can be intrusive.
• Some areas of the Heath still have bracken in densities too high to allow animals.
• There are three other stock keepers with stock on the perimeter of the Heath. The recommendation is for a three metre buffer between neighbouring stock to prevent the spread of disease.
• The construction of cattle grids along with the planning and new signs would run into tens of thousands of pounds. The same money could be used to cut mechanically for decades.

The other major disadvantage with grazing entire sites is the control of parasitic gut worms. Before the invention of modern wormers or drenches, farmers employed clean grazing systems where possible. The stock would be moved to clean pasture as regularly as possible breaking the life cycle of the worm. This was largely abandoned when wormers were introduced; farmers could graze the same pasture all year round. The stock would be routinely drenched, eradicating the worm burden.   The problem with wormers is that they are basically insecticides which continue to do their job once outside of the body. Animal dung is a valuable food source to a huge range of fauna; even butterflies draw minerals from fresh cowpats. Organic farming systems and conservation graziers try to avoid wormers by returning to clean grazing systems; by using small compartments moved frequently the need for worming is largely negated.

These scenarios are replicated throughout the Chilterns. We have therefore adopted the compartment grazing system for all but the smallest sites regardless of existing fencing.

Here is a set of temporary electric fencing
which can enclose about 2 acres. When the stock is moved there is no trace that it was ever there. 

We would be happy to assist with any other commons grazing and management in the Chilterns and beyond, on a professional basis; find our details in the 'contact us' section.

Chalk Grassland

We currently manage five areas of chalk grassland, two of which are SSSI.

Traditionally sheep are the favoured graziers, but the open access of many sites has made this impractical due to dog attacks. We use very placid Dexter cattle in the open access areas and sheep anywhere that dog strikes are unlikely.

The current owner of Cobstone Hill SSSI has lived at the site for 25 years and has struggled to graze the site to the required standard. This was largely caused by the difficulties of looking after his own stock. We now use both sheep and cattle to graze the whole site and are currently working with Natural England to secure HLS funding. The beauty of working on the hill is the breathtaking panoramic view. Even when you go every day it is dificult not to stand and stare.

The National Trust have asked us to provide grazing animals for the Watlington Hill SSSI. The initial plan was to graze the whole site with cattle, but following local consultation the Trust has decided to trial small plots. This will provide some good comparisons of the grazing effect on vegetation.  Rabbits are currently overgrazing the site restricting plant growth through the flowering season. The principle is to control the rabbit grazing and use domestic stock to reduce the sward height at the end of the growing season. If you wish to know more about Watlington Hill management contact Neil Harris of the National Trust.

Wild Flower Meadows

Hay making

Every year we cut wild flower meadows for hay. Most farmers turn their noses up at the fields we cut as it is full of weeds! The equipment is old fashioned, but we need small conventional bales for our system and horse owners prefer the small bales.  

The hay is cut later in the year than conventional farmers would. This is to ensure that the flowers have finished and the associated wildlife has finished breeding. The hay is consequently full of wild seed. This is then fed to animals in other sites where we are trying to establish wild flowers.  

Flail mower collecting; the cuttings can be fed directly to the cows or turned into silage