Grazing animals have created and maintained the characteristic chalk grassland and common land of the Chilterns for hundreds of years. Without them, the landscape would look very different with sites becoming scrubbed over and eventually returning to woodland.
Over the years, cattle and sheep numbers have fallen due to declining returns and some sites are no longer grazed to the detriment of landscape and biodiversity. In order to link livestock with ungrazed sites, a grazing database called SheepKeep has been set up to ‘match make’ animals and spare grazing. It was initially established by the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG). With funding from the Chilterns Conservation Board it has now been extended to cover the Chilterns.
For information on sites in the Chilterns that require grazing and on stock that are available to graze sites visit the Chilterns SheepKeep site. You can also add your own land or stock to the SheepKeep database.
The main SheepKeep website www.sheepkeep.co.uk is a useful resource for all aspects of keeping livestock.
The Bedfordshire Wildlife Trust have their own grazing database in Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire. For more information go to www.grazebeds.org.uk
