Our Work on Tennyson Down

Between the early 1900s and the 1990s there were no animals grazing on the Down. This allowed the whole of the sheltered north side of the Down to grow up with young woodland and many of the chalk grassland flowers and butterflies disappeared. In the 1990s cattle were gradually reintroduced and areas of young trees are being removed to allow the rare chalk grassland to return and once again provide a landscape of open downland rich in wildlife. 

Why is grazing necessary on Tennyson Down?

Conservation grazing preserves chalk grassland habitats and increases biodiversity.

Browsing and grazing helps keep the right balance of chalk grassland, scattered scrub and woodland. Chalk grassland is such a rare and declining habitat that we need to focus on restoring it where we can.

Can we see where the cattle are grazing?

Yes. Initially, maps will show grazing areas and virtual fence lines. Eventually, QR codes will provide live updates to help plan walking routes. We plan to exclude cattle from the cliff top path on Tennyson Down so that there is a path along the cliff tops leading to and beyond the Tennyson monument that should be free of cattle.

Containing the cattle 

The No Fence method uses modern technology to contain the cattle and each member of the herd wears a solar-powered GPS collar. If they approach the virtual boundary, they’re alerted by a musical tone and, if they persist, they’re deterred by a weak electrical pulse.

Cattle associate the musical tone with the approaching boundary and quickly learn to turn back before crossing it. The system was developed in Norway, where it’s been used on grazing animals for about 10 years.

Caring for the cattle

Our tenant farmer checks them regularly when out on the Down – their search is made easier thanks to the cattle’s GPS collars as their location can be seen on a mobile phone.

While the cattle have been picked for their calmness, we ask the public to take care if they encounter cattle. Please follow this guide below.

• Do not approach or feed the cattle.
• Keep dogs on short leads where cattle are grazing and if cattle approach let your dog off the lead.
• Pick up and remove dog waste and litter.
• Do not touch any equipment or cattle collars, due to the risk of electric pulse.

Do the collars cause harm to the cattle?

No. The cattle are gradually trained to respond to the collars in a stress-free environment. The collars use audio warnings and, if necessary, a weak electric pulse, much milder than traditional electric fences.

Can’t machinery control scrub without grazing?

We do use machinery for initial grassland restoration, but it's costly and unsustainable long-term. Cattle provide selective grazing that promotes habitat diversity more naturally and sustainably and the ability to create virtual fences will allow us to graze confidently in areas that have previously been too difficult or not appropriate to fence.