Cows give a ‘helping hoof’ to restore rare Oxfordshire wetland
15th June 2026
A small herd of cows has been introduced to help protect one of Oxfordshire’s rarest and most wildlife-rich habitats.
With the help of volunteers, Freshwater Habitats Trust has been restoring the alkaline fen at Hinksey Heights, west of Oxford, since 2018. Now, the Oxford-based charity is introducing five native Dexter cattle to manage vegetation and give rare wetland wildlife a chance to thrive.
Oxfordshire has an internationally important concentration of alkaline fens, but many have become degraded or lost altogether. Across Oxfordshire, we have now lost 70 hectares of these wetlands – an area the size of 100 football pitches.
These spring-fed wetlands are vital for biodiversity, supporting endangered plants and animals not found in other habitats. Their decline is the result of changing land use, especially the loss of traditional farming practices like grazing, which has allowed trees and scrub to take over.
- Dexter cattle grazing at Hinksey Heights in Oxfordshire
At Hinksey Heights, Freshwater Habitats Trust works with the landowner, local ecologists and volunteers to cut dense reeds and other competitive plants, levelling the ecological playing field for the fen’s specialist plant and animal species. Volunteers meet on the second Sunday of every month to clear vegetation by scything and raking.
The national wildlife conservation charity is introducing cattle to complement this work. The cows are taking over the role of removing vegetation by eating it and trampling areas of bare ground where smaller plants can establish. They will also spread seeds across the site on their hooves, and in their fur and dung.
The cattle will wear GPS-enabled collars, allowing the team to manage and monitor where they graze. Acting as ‘digital shepherds’, the collars emit an audible warning if cows approach restricted areas. The raised boardwalk around the fen will allow visitors to continue to enjoy this peaceful natural space which is highly valued by local people.
Freshwater Habitats Trust Senior Plant Ecologist and fen expert David Morris said: “Our fantastic volunteers have achieved so much since 2018. After a century or more of neglect, their work has provided the big ecological reset the fen here needed to begin recovery.
- Volunteers raking at Hinksey Heights fen, Oxford.
“The plan is that the cows will now carry out more of the maintenance work, so volunteers can focus on restoring new areas. With grazing in place, volunteers can take on different tasks, such as introducing rare plants and managing invasive species.
“Our ultimate ambition is to realise the site’s ecological potential – and as this is one of the biggest fens in Oxfordshire, the benefits for nature could be huge.”
John Brimble, one of the landowners at Hinksey Heights, said: “The welcome guidance and support, provided by Freshwater Habitats Trust, with local and national sources of funding, coupled with their dedicated volunteers has transformed our degraded fens into a site targeted to help improve biodiversity in many ways.”
Research by Freshwater Habitats Trust and others shows that conservation grazing can be an effective and sustainable way to restore and manage wildlife habitats. The inspiration for introducing the cattle to Hinksey Heights came from one of Europe’s most important wetland landscapes – the New Forest – where animals graze freely as they would once have done in Oxfordshire.
- Cow grazing at Hinksey Heights in Oxfordshire
David added: “Low-intensity grazing by livestock is difficult to reinstate once lost, but our research shows that grazed freshwater habitats typically support more wildlife. This is no surprise. Many freshwater plants and animals evolved alongside large, grazing herbivores. In the past it is very likely that local people’s livestock would have grazed at Hinksey Heights.
“We carry out regular scientific surveys at Hinksey Heights and will be monitoring the cattle closely. Using the collars, we can control where they graze, ensuring they have a positive impact on the fen. It will be interesting to see what they do and don’t like eating!”
The fen restoration has been funded by Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution via the Projects for Nature platform, which includes the introduction of cattle to Hinksey Heights, and the Nature Returns programme, which was led by Natural England in close partnership with the Environment Agency, Forestry Commission and RBG Kew, Wakehurst. The grant for the cattle collars is from the Trust for Oxfordshire’s Environment with funding from Grundon Waste Management Ltd through the Landfill Communities Fund.
- Freshwater Habitats Trust Senior Plant Ecologist David Morris and John Magrath, one of the Hinksey Heights volunteers