Grazing on Portsdown Hill
Since at least the Middle Ages, sheep have been grazed on Portsdown. Ancient drove roads pass over the hill, as 'all roads lead to Portsmouth' The port exported wool and meat.
Sheep continued to be grazed on the south of Portsdown Hill until the middle of the 1940's, when farming practices changed. For several decades, the only grazing was a few wild deer, and some local horses that were (illegally) tethered there. Without persistent grazing pressure, scrub rapidly increased its cover from around 5% to nearer 70%. Since the mid-1990's, grazing has been re-introduced as a means of conservation management.
Portsdown Grazing
Tithe maps of 1839 describe the hill as "pasture with arable land to the north and south", while paintings and various accounts, e.g., Cobbett, (1830) describe sheep grazing on open grassland.
As recently as the 1940's, sheep grazed on Portsdown, and many local inhabitants remember Portsdown as an open, grassy area, with some pockets of scrub.
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Conservation Grazing on Portsdown Hill
Since 1995, a winter-grazing program has been persued. This varies from year to year:
- From 1995 - 1999, Longhorn cattle were borrowed from the grazing herd at Staunton Country Park
- In 1999 and 2001, goats were tried, as they are ideal for eating the scrub. However, their safety and good health was unfortunately incompatible with the number of dogs exercised on the site.
- From 2000 - 2002, a beef herd were borrowed from a local farmer.
Spring 2004 grazing stock
2004 and 2005, we had 2 herds on the Hill:
Highland cows, which are part of the 'Hampshire Conservation Roaming Herd', and Aberdeen Angus, borrowed from a local farmer. He also grazed some Shetland ponies on the site.
Cattle are excellent at removing the thatch of ungrazed vegetation and thus opening up the sward for the return of chalk grassland plant. To a lesser extent, they control scrub, especially the newer shoots.
However, their care is very labour-intensive, as the site is rather more extensive and varied, than the open fields they normally inhabit. Daily health checks are needed, which often involves long searchs for them, and early morning ice-breaking from their water-troughs when cold. Furthermore, fence-maintenance is vital to prevent escapes.
Wild grazers
In summer 2002, rabbits were seen on the east end of the hill for the first time on many years.
They will help the grazing, so are welcome, but only in small numbers. However, if they 'breed like rabbits', they'll likely become a problem.
A small deer population is also resident on the hill, but in too small numbers to have a significant grazing effect.
More about grazing
The Portsdown Management plan describes stocking levels, and is based on dairy cattle that grazed the land in 1999.