The cows have come home to a Coulsdon beauty spot – and they’ve already set about smartening the place up a bit.
A crack squadron of Sussex Red cattle has been drafted in to keep the wildlife-rich grassland of Farthing Downs trim.
The City of London Corporation, which owns the land, picked the industrious beasts for the job ahead of traditional mowing machinery because they allow more flowers to flourish.
The bovine lawnmowers also leave longer tufts of grass intact, offering vital shelter for insects, lizards and small mammals.
The Sussex Red calves meet their new home
Bob Warnock, the Corporation’s superintendent at Farthing Downs, said: “Not only do cattle enjoy this wonderful fresh food source, but it helps maintain our open downland – for all south-easterners to enjoy.
“It also helps ensure a rich diversity of wild flowers and grasses which are excellent for skylarks and grassland creepy crawlies.
He added: “The cattle are always a little frisky having been inside over the winter months, so you might see the calves having a good run about over the first day or two before they settle down to that end-old task of munching grass.”
Farthing Downs is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest with the most extensive semi-natural chalk hills in Greater London.
Archaeological discoveries from the Neolithic, Iron Age and Roman periods have been made there.
Factfile: Cow vs. Lawnmower
Cow
Mechanics: 32 teeth
Weight: 600 to 900kg
Length: 6.2 to 8.2ft long
Habitat: Grasslands
Lifespan: 15 - 25 years
Speed: Up to 20 mph (32 kmph)
Diet: Grass and leaves
Capacity: 45 kg of food per day in four stomach compartments
Working hours: Grazes up to eight hours a day
First employed: Domesticated since 8,500BC.
Interesting fact: A cow stands up and sits down about 14 times a day
Lawnmower (Bosch Rotak 40 Ergoflex)
Mechanics: 1700W powerdrive motor and 70mm steel blades
Weight: 16kg
Length: 77.6cm
Habitat: Garage.
Lifespan: Two-year warranty
Speed: As fast as you push it
Diet: Anything in its way
Capacity: 50-litre grass collector
Working hours: Whenever you turn it on
First employed: 1827, when it was invented by Edwin Budding
Interesting fact: The Hall and Duck Trust, in Ilminster, boasts the world’s largest collection of vintage lawnmowers - over 1,500
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