Cattle roam the plains or grassy areas of the Forest. They are not owned by the National Trust, but are allowed under a grazing licence onto the Forest.

They are mixed breeds, but some old breeds to look out for are Welsh Blacks and British Whites.

There has been grazing on Hatfield Forest for thousands of years. Grazing pasture produces a particular type of grassland – rich in different species of grasses and herbs.

There are over 200 species of plants and many more fungi because of grazing. The cows that graze Hatfield Forest are grazed at the right density for the conservation of the grassland. Over 1000 insects can be found on a single cow-pat.

The sheep are owned by the National Trust. They are all wethers (that means they are castrated males) and the breed is Beulah Speckled Face.

The job of the sheep is to graze specific areas of high wildlife value, either where cattle do not have access, or where grazing pressure by the cattle is not sufficient to stop rank growth of grasses and other plants.

Beulah sheep are ideal for this as they will eat a much wider range of vegetation than many other breeds of sheep.

We ask visitors to please respect the dogs on leads policy in the areas where the sheep are grazing, and also to beware of the electric fence as it can give quite a shock both to humans and dogs.