Cattle grazing and moorland management at Brimham Rocks

Cattle grazing on Brimham Rocks moorland — Belted galloway cattle grazing on Brimham's moor | © Paul Harris

Find out how our countryside team of staff and volunteers help to maintain and conserve the moorland at Brimham, from the trialling of different bracken control techniques to the introduction of Belted Galloway cattle to graze the moorland vegetation.

Cattle grazing at Brimham

In 2023 we introduced cattle to graze the moorland at Brimham Rocks. A herd of Belted Galloways graze the moorland vegetation between May and October, helping to maintain a healthy habitat

Grazing is an important part of moorland management as it helps us to manage the moorland more effectively and sustainably. The cattle graze and eat the young saplings to create and conserve a healthy, mixed-age structure of vegetation.

To manage the cattle we've put up a fence around their roaming area on the south and north moors. To maintain Brimham moorland as open access land we've installed gates on public rights of way and stiles at access points along the boundary of the fence too. There won’t be any livestock in the main visitor area or car parks.

The Belted Galloways chosen to graze the site are hard-mouthed and browse as well as graze a variety of vegetation. They are a placid, gentle but hardy breed and importantly are not fazed by members of the public and their dogs.

Cattle Grazing on Brimham Rocks North Moor — The Belted Galloways are gentle but hardy breed of cattle which will roam freely on the north and south moors | © Annapurna Mellor

This grazing will improve the moorland habitat at Brimham Rocks as the cattle will:

Browse off the young birch saplings and the coarser grasses.
Maintain a varied structure of heather to improve the habitat for ground nesting birds.
Prevent the further growth of large trees which dry out the moor and risk the heathland reverting to woodland.
Introduce droppings and poach the ground to diversify the habitat for invertebrates.
Improve soil quality by increasing bacteria and fungi content.

Having the cattle graze the moorland is proving valuable in improving the condition of the moor. In their past two years of grazing, the cattle have already helped to control the purple moor grass, which can become a huge fire risk in time of drought, and tackle the birch saplings, ensuring that trees still grow on the heathland without it reverting to woodland. They are also helping to trample bracken rhizomes and diversify the age structure of heather, allowing us to better preserve this rare habitat.

- Simon Hodgson, Area Ranger Brimham Rocks

Findng the right balance

The cattle are only on site for the summer months, from mid-May to the end of October. The timing and intensity of the grazing may be altered as time goes on, to ensure that they are having the right impact. Getting the grazing levels right is our biggest challenge.

We are continuing to carefully monitor the landscape and habitat, to ensure that the cattle are having the desired effect. In the future, the timing and intensity of the grazing may be altered to increase or decrease numbers where necessary, or move the cattle around the site to target their grazing. We will keep everyone informed of any changes we may make in the future.

SSSI moorland conservation

Brimham Rocks is one of just over 4,000 sites nationwide that have been awarded the status Site of Special Scientific Interest’ (SSSI). Attributed by Natural England, this status is used to protect the natural, environmental or geological heritage of the British Isles from development, pollution or insensitive land management.

Sunrise at Brimham Rocks, North Yorkshire — Sunrise at Brimham Rocks | © National Trust Images/Paul Kingston

Being given this status is certainly a form of recognition of the uniqueness of the site, but also places a great deal of responsibility on the shoulders of the conservation staff who work here.

On a world scale, natural heather habitats are extremely rare. Brimham’s moor is made up of both wet and dry heath. This is a nationally important landscape as, according to the EU Habitats Directive, 35% of Europe’s dry heathland is found in the UK and that habitat has been declining rapidly.

Brimham moor has the particular distinction of being home to three local varieties: ling heather, bell heather and cross-leaved heath. With its rapid growth and extended root system, if left unattended, bracken would soon damage the heather moorland beyond repair.

Bracken control techniques

The countryside team of staff and volunteers perform regular trials of different bracken control techniques. A recent Higher Level Stewardship grant has made all the difference to the team’s ultimate success or failure in bracken control, as it has made possible the purchase of the necessary equipment.

A selective herbicide is used, which only harms bracken and dock. It thoroughly eradicates bracken at its root, resulting in seven to eight years of managed countryside. This makes it more difficult for the weed to re-establish a presence on the site and giving subsequent ‘natural’ methods of control, such as flailing and manual pulling, a much higher chance of success.

Our work to preserve this precious natural resource is always ongoing and we are always interested to hear from people interested in volunteering to help conserve this natural moorland habitat for generations to come.