Sheep return to Hampstead Heath for conservation grazing, residents can watch them
Five Norfolk Horn and Oxford Down ewes, loaned from Mudchute City Farm, will graze the anthill meadow from 9 to 21 September under a City of London Corporation trial.
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The City of London Corporation announced that five rare‑breed ewes have been moved onto the anthill meadow of Hampstead Heath for a two‑week conservation grazing trial. The sheep, identified as Norfolk Horn and Oxford Down breeds, arrived on Wednesday 9 September and will remain until Monday 21 September. They will be on the meadow from 8 am to 7 pm each day and will be stabled locally overnight, with staff and volunteers monitoring their welfare throughout the period.
Project details
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The corporation said the trial is part of an ongoing programme that began in 2019 to test how traditional grazing can support biodiversity on the Heath. The project is delivered in partnership with the Heath & Hampstead Society, the Rare Breeds Survival Trust and Heath Hands. The London Natural History Society is conducting surveys before and after grazing to record any ecological change. The meadow’s anthill terrain creates a low‑impact grazing environment, offering an alternative to mechanical mowing.
Historical context
Research by The London Archives, as reported by the City of London Corporation, shows that sheep grazed Parliament Hill and other parts of the Heath from the 18th century. Formal grazing licences were recorded from at least 1895. The corporation noted that grazing disappeared from the Heath during the 1950s and has only recently been re‑introduced as a conservation tool.
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“Grazing sheep were a familiar part of Heath life for generations, and archive discoveries have helped us better understand that history,”
Alderman Gregory Jones KC, Chair of the City Corporation’s Hampstead Heath Committee
The corporation reminded visitors that dogs must be kept under effective control around the grazing area to ensure the safety of the ewes. The Heath attracts around 8.1 million visits each year, and the trial is expected to provide a visible example of low‑impact land management for the large number of users.
Questions this report answers
+When will the sheep be on Hampstead Heath?
The five ewes will graze the anthill meadow from 9 September to 21 September. They will be present each day between 8 am and 7 pm, allowing the public to see them during normal opening hours.
+Who provided the sheep and who is running the trial?
Mudchute City Farm supplied the Norfolk Horn and Oxford Down ewes on loan. The City of London Corporation is running the trial, working with the Heath & Hampstead Society, the Rare Breeds Survival Trust and Heath Hands.
+What must visitors do to protect the sheep?
Visitors are asked to keep dogs under effective control around the grazing area. The corporation emphasised this guidance to safeguard the welfare of the ewes while they are on the Heath.
+Why is grazing being re‑introduced to the Heath?
Research by The London Archives shows sheep historically grazed the Heath from the 18th century. The corporation is testing whether traditional grazing can support biodiversity and provide a low‑impact alternative to machinery, building on trials that began in 2019.
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