Our work at Tarn Hows and Coniston

Grazing for nature

Windermere’s western shore, Tarn Hows, Silverdale and the Sizergh Estate are just a few of the places where you might encounter a small herd of cattle looking slightly out of place in an area bustling with visitors.

The National Trust, along with other landowners, are working with local farmers to improve wildlife habitats whilst supporting the viability of their farming businesses.

Why cows?

Farming and the Lake District go hand in hand, with the hardy Herdwick sheep synonymous with the region. Sheep, however, graze very differently to cattle. They use their lips and front teeth to select individual plants, targeting only their favourite species – often delicate wildflowers. Over time this can reduce the diversity of pasture as it becomes dominated by the plants sheep prefer not to eat. 

Cows differ as they wrap their tongues around clumps of vegetation to pull it up, creating small patches of bare earth ready to be populated by new seeds. They’re also less picky – their gut is capable of digesting tougher plants and their size means they need plenty to keep going.

Weight is also a factor; cows churn up the ground, creating soft, muddy pockets for seeds to germinate. Their size means they break up masses of dead leaves on the ground and create pathways through tall, dense areas. Far from being destructive, their movements provide other species a place to thrive.

Cows are so suited to this role that even their manure has a use; it’s a natural fertiliser which also supports a wide variety of insects including beetles, flies, spiders and earthworms. In turn, birds and bats feed off this new food supply, continuing the cycle. There is no modern way to replicate the efficacy of cattle grazing when it’s done with nature in mind.

Cows at Coniston

On the east shore of Coniston, Park-a-Moor sits high above the lake and is home to a mixture of Luing, Whitebred Shorthorn and Highland cattle breeds. This 40-strong breeding herd have one of the best views in the Lake District, with 150 acres of heathland at their disposal. 

The cattle were brought in to break up the dominant purple moor grass and make room for more desirable species such as cotton grasses, mosses and peatland plants which attract birds such as the skylark and meadow pipit. The herd’s introduction into the surrounding woodland has led to a bumper crop of touch-me-not balsam; the only food source for the caterpillar of one of the UK’s rarest moth species, the netted carpet moth.