Herdwicks

Herdwick sheep are the native breed of the central and western Lake District. Having grazed for hundreds of years on the highest of England’s mountains the breed is often said to be the hardiest of Britain’s hill sheep. The majority of all Herdwicks are found within a single region of Cumbria, putting the breed at severe threat during outbreaks of disease. By maintaining a breeding flock of ewes, the Trust is helping to reduce this risk. Herdwicks are great characters with white faces and legs. Lambs are born black but after a year they lighten to a dark brown colour, which later lightens to grey after their first shearing. They are renowned escapees and our flock is no exception. However, these tough sheep will eat almost anything and are perfect for keeping down scrub that would otherwise develop on our chalk downland.

Exmoors

The Exmoor pony is the oldest and most primitive of the British native ponies, as well as the purest, having been preserved unchanged on Exmoor through the centuries. Living in such tough environmental conditions they have a strong tolerance of rain, snow and cold winds - our ponies arrived in the severe snow in February 2009 and couldn’t have appeared more at home. Exmoors are usually bay or brown in colour with light beige markings around their nose and eyes. They are low maintenance, coping well on poor vegetation and happily consuming thistle buds and brambles. The Trust has opted for Exmoors because they will graze Tor grass, a coarse grass which many other breeds will not eat. It is extremely quick spreading and rapidly dominates grassland, shading out wildflowers. Exmoors are listed as endangered on the Rare Breeds Survival Trust watch list.

Belted Galloways

Belted Galloways are instantly distinctive with their white-belted middles and shaggy coat. They are a hardy breed that originates from the exposed highlands of Galloway in south west Scotland. Galloways are well equipped for the outside with a double coat of long hair. The overcoat is to shed the rain and keep the animal dry, and the soft undercoat is for warmth. Whilst not as small as the Dexter, Galloways are generally lighter on their feet than commercial breeds, reducing the likelihood of poaching the ground into mud in wet conditions. This is particularly important because the Galloways graze our wildflower-rich hay meadows that frequently flood in winter.

Dexters

The Dexter is the smallest British breed of cattle – about one third the size of a Friesian milking cow. The breed comes in three colours – black, red and dun. Originating from the south west region of Ireland, Dexters are hardy animals, thought to have been bred from the best selection of Irish mountain cattle in the 1800s. Because of their size and resilient nature, Dexters are ideal for grazing chalk grassland sites. They do not damage the fragile soils as larger breeds might and navigate the steep slopes with ease. Dexters can overwinter outside, withstanding rain, wind and snow.

Aberdeen Angus

Possibly one of the most well known of all cattle breeds, the hardy Aberdeen Angus originates from the counties of Aberdeenshire and Angus in Scotland. Aberdeen Angus are solid black or red, although white may appear on the udder. The breed is naturally polled which means that the cattle do not have horns – people often use them for cross breeding to produce calves which are naturally dehorned. Aberdeen Angus cattle are of a medium-size build, similar to the Belted Galloway and are used to graze our hay meadows.