A nice stroll along the River Cam is one of the great pastimes of a Cambridge resident, particularly in the summer months. Wildflowers lace the paths between historic buildings, and ducks quack contentedly on the riverbanks. Unusually – for so central a city – our walks along the river are also shared with some larger inhabitants, namely the cattle herds that roam the Commons.
Perhaps you’ve steered clear of them on a cycle to Grantchester or picked out their russet hides among the grasses in front of King’s College. They are largely unbothered by passers-by, content in their grazing. Cambridge’s cows follow in the tradition of ‘Commons grazing’, a regular practice in cities across the country before the 17th century.
‘Common’ land can be accessed by anyone, and everyone is granted certain rights on how they can use it. This includes the right to graze livestock. Though it follows an ancient tradition, the cattle grazing that happens in Cambridge today is slightly more high-tech.
“Cattle grazing has many benefits for the biodiversity of the area” I spoke with Angelika von Heimendahl, who has been grazing cattle in Cambridge for almost twenty years. Her herd at Coe Fen are kitted out with large cowbell-like collars containing GPS trackers. These allow Angelika and members of the council to track the whereabouts of the cows and implement targeted grazing.
Cattle grazing has many benefits for the biodiversity of the area; it’s a gentler way of keeping the.
