Cattle Grazing
With winter looming we have now begun practical works on the Eastbourne Downs during the dormant period.
Cattle grazing has started on the open downland area, with two compartments currently being grazed using livestock from neighbouring tenant farms. Currently this includes the steep escarpment overlooking Cow Gap between Whitbread Hollow and Beachy Head.
Secondly, Belle Tout hill is being grazed . This is in conjunction with the Council's neighbours The National Trust, so that the whole hill is being grazed to Birling Gap.
As in previous years, the grazing compartments are enclosed with temporary electric fencing containing access gates on rights of way, so that the public is able to still access the area. Information and warning signs are also put up, so that people can better understand why the grazing takes place.
The reasons are essentially to continue the traditional farming methods including grazing the downs, which created the open landscapes seen today.
Grazing maintains the quality of the chalk grassland for wild flowers, butterflies and other invertebrates. If the downland was just left, the grassland would become dominated by coarse grasses, bramble and eventually scrub, so that any delicate wild flowers would become smothered, disappear and the historic downland landscape would also change.
This landscape change is most evident along the steep eastern escarpment adjacent to Eastbourne, which has undergone a change from open grassland to pioneer woodland within just a few decades, once grazing had stopped.
Coppicing
Along the eastern escarpment, proactive scrub management takes place each winter at various sites with either scrub removal or coppicing.
This helps restore the open landscape or enhance the variety of habitats. For example, this winter blocks of scrub are being coppiced at Whitbread Hollow, to create a variety of ages of scrub which is of benefit to wildlife. This is detailed in the Council's 'Scrub Management Action Plan' document.
On the escarpment above the YHA (Youth Hostel Association) site young pioneer woodland trees are being removed to help restore old downland that is gradually becoming smothered.
Other sites will be having similar management. The work will be carried out by contractors, the Council's estate team and by volunteer Rangers. All works will be completed by early March.
