The cattle that now graze the site are white parks, an ancient breed which has been kept in Britain for more than 2,000 years and is now classed as a rare breed. In fact, the Rare Breeds Survival Trust moved white park cattle to its “priority” category in 2026 as numbers have fallen in recent years.

Initially, just five cattle will graze in part of the nature reserve which has been set aside to regenerate naturally, free from disturbance. Left as a field of docks and thistles after a period of being ploughed for arable crops, now this area is gradually developing as a mosaic habitat with areas of grass and scrubby bushes and vegetation. This habitat is perfect for many small birds and mammals as well as insects and other invertebrates. This year reed bunting, sedge warbler and whitethroat are nesting at the site and whinchat, stonechat, lesser whitethroat, yellowhammer, and the rare grasshopper warbler have all been recorded. 

The cattle will selectively graze and trample this area which helps to create this diverse mosaic of habitats, keeping some patches grazed short, while allowing scrub and trees to develop and allowing seeds to germinate in areas of bare earth.

The remainder of the reserve is being restored as a traditional floodplain meadow and, as the restoration progresses, this will be managed by cutting it for hay in the summer and then grazed for a period afterwards.

To ensure the cattle can be managed safely, new fencing has been installed and an area of hard standing created at one entrance to enable all weather access for transporting on and off site. While this has meant that one or two routes taken by visitors over the last few years are no longer accessible, the majority of the site can still be accessed, with multiple permitted paths and a wonderful route around the whole site perimeter alongside the river.

David Hutton, Nature Reserves Project Manager said:

“It is fantastic to see these beautiful animals grazing the site. This echoes historical management practices and will contribute to creating wonderful wildlife habitat here, as well as producing food, right in the heart of the city. We are pleased to be working with Simon Dale who has livestock on a number of farms around Herefordshire and we are supported by a  group of local volunteers who are working with Simon and Trust staff to keep daily checks on the cows which are also monitored using satellite tracked collars.”

Herefordshire Wildlife Trust took on the lease of Bartonsham Meadows in 2023. In 2024 we began the Restoring Bartonsham Meadows thanks to funding from TheThe National Lottery Heritage Fund, made possible thanks to National Lottery players. This project, which ends in June 2027, is kickstarting the restoration of the floodplain meadow and natural regeneration habitats but is also enabling us to offer range of opportunities for people to get involved, from volunteering, school visits, youth programmes, guided walks and family events.