Steyning Downland Scheme squatters invited to stay

Dexter cattle regularly graze at the Rifle Range, Steyning Coombe and Pepperscombe, and they play a crucial role in munching down the grassland, helping to conserve the ancient chalk grassland habitats.

This year, they have some new friends – some British Whites that have sneaked in from Steyning Roundhill.

These cows belong to Sussex Wildlife Trust and they had managed to push down the fence before making their way on to the downland scheme land at Pepperscombe.

Eagle-eyed walkers had reported the squatters to the Steyning Downland Scheme, having spotted the large white cattle on the hill on the charity’s land.

Having found out where the cows had come from, the Steyning project manager invited them to stay a while.

Tom Parry, grazing manager at Sussex Wildlife Trust, explained; “A few weeks ago, part of a fence did come down and our British White cattle moved themselves into the lower field.

“We check all our livestock daily and when we spoke to the landowner about this, we were asked if the cattle could remain there to help with grazing that field.

“Conservation grazing is important and so I was happy to agree to this and the cattle will remain there until later April or May.”

Sussex Wildlife Trust has been re-establishing historic land management techniques, such as sympathetic grazing with traditional breeds, for some years.

The British Whites are now in the lower compartment, away from the bridleway.

Matthew Thomas, project manager on Steyning Downland Scheme, said: “We need grazing on this land, otherwise it turns to scrub and then it affects the ancient chalk grassland, which is an internationally rare habitat.

“This is really tough tor grass that most cows won’t eat. The Dexters are an old breed that will eat anything, and if anything, they do better on this.

“The tor grass swamps everything else if it is left. These cows are conserving the landscape.”

The cows on the downland scheme are there all year round.

Matthew said the grazing programme would not normally allow cattle to be grazing at Pepperscombe until later in the year, to give the spring plants a chance to flower and set seed, but in the circumstances, it was agreed the British Whites could stay.

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