Cattle are Trust’s regeneration tool at Foxbury

A herd of cattle are the National Trust’s secret weapon to kick-start regeneration of scrub and heathland at Foxbury Common, on the edge of the New Forest.

Foxbury, which consists of 150 hectares at Copythorne, is being returned to heathland and deciduous woodland, after decades of use as a conifer plantation.

National Trust project officer Doug England confirms that 60 beef cattle, owned by New Forest commoners, have just been turned out on 50 hectares of the land.

“The cattle are an important tool in our regeneration plan,” he explained. “They help to control the bracken and where they stir up, or poach the ground, grasses and plants that seed will be able to germinate and grow, restoring the land to a mix of acid grassland and heath.

Doug with area warden Ian Bradwell and their team have already removed alien species such as rhododendron and have worked over the year to restore three natural ponds, ditches and streams.

“We hope to see an increasing population of insects such as dragonflies and damselflies, more insectivorous plants like sundews and butterworts and an increase of woodlark, hobby and nightjar,” said Doug.

“As we continue to restore this land we welcome public access to Foxbury, as we do to all National Trust sites in the New Forest,” he said.

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