Forestry England will introduce a small herd of cattle to the south-western quarter of Whinlatter Forest in June 2025.
Historically, cattle would have roamed freely through Britain's forests. Our experience with the Wild Ennerdale partnership has shown that careful cattle grazing enriches forest habitats by:
• Creating more diverse vegetation through selective grazing
• Developing richer, more colourful forest and mountain environments
• Supporting other wildlife by enhancing habitats
• Helping tree and shrub regeneration as cattle push seeds into the soil in autumn
This initiative forms part of a larger nature recovery project across three sites in Whinlatter and Dodd Wood, which includes creating new native scrub woodland. Currently we plan to only introduce cattle at Hobcarton.
We plan to introduce Luing cattle, a native breed bred for beef production. Luing do not have horns and are generally placid.
The cattle will follow a seasonal pattern; on the fell in summer and autumn, in the forest during the winter and calving in enclosed fields during the spring. In August and September a bull will also be with the herd.
They will not graze along the loop road from Hobcarton car park. Please see the map for specific grazing areas.
While Luing cattle typically have a mild temperament, please follow these safety guidelines:
• Keep dogs controlled and preferably on leads
• If cattle block your path, give them plenty of space and go around them
• Never approach, pet or feed the cattle
• Keep small children close to you
• Take extra care not to come between a cow and her calves
• Avoid splitting the herd
• Follow all posted notices and alerts
Learn more
If you would like to contact us about the cattle grazing please email the Whinlatter team on whinlatter@forestryengland.uk