Rare plants to benefit from return of sheep

2:54pm Friday 9th March 2007

Comments (0)   Have your say »

SHEEP will soon be seen roaming the slopes of Malvern's northern hills for the first time in 15 years to protect the rare and unique plant community.

A flock of 20 North Country Cheviot sheep will be introduced to the area by Malvern Hills Conservators during the next fortnight.

Their voracious appetite for dead grass, scrub and brambles has proved an essential tool in the Conservators' grazing project.

Already a common sight on the central and southern hills, the newcomers will live alongside Galloway cattle in fenced-off compartments on the east side of Worcestershire Beacon.

Their introduction will be on a trial basis, to see if local people support the idea.

Cattle and sheep were re-introduced to the hills in 2001 and have become a favourite with many tourists and residents, who have even given them names from Fred and Ginger to Bush and Blair.

Rob Havard, the Conservators' conservation officer, said their presence has had a dramatic and positive impact on the vegetation.

"We're really happy with the way the project has gone. The before and after pictures we have show such a positive change in the landscape and and improvement in the condition of the vegetation."

Mr Havard said recent surveys suggested Malvern might be the only place in the country to boast a particular mix of wildflowers, including bilberry and harebell.

"We might be the only place in Britain to have this mixture and we definitely want to preserve it," he said.

Mr Havard said people were free to enter the enclosures to see the sheep and were welcome to bring dogs, as long as they were kept under control.