Welcoming three new English Longhorn cattle to Sleight Farm

This week, we welcomed three new English Longhorn cattle to Sleight Farm, with another four arriving in early September — bringing our herd to its ideal size of eleven. Over the next few weeks, they’ll be busy establishing their herd hierarchy.

The English Longhorn is an ancient breed, instantly recognisable for its sweeping horns. Once on the brink of extinction in the mid-20th century, it is now valued for both its heritage and its role in conservation. As one of our largest native cattle breeds, cows typically weigh 700–750 kg, while bulls can reach over a tonne (1,000–1,100 kg).

Our Longhorns are more than just impressive to look at — they’re a vital part of our grassland restoration work. Day and night, all year round, they deliver conservation outcomes no human or machine could replicate, shaping habitats and supporting biodiversity in subtle but powerful ways.

Meanwhile, James, our farm manager, has been making hay while the sun shines — quite literally. Using our new small round baler, he’s been cutting and baling just 50% of each field. This approach ensures we maintain long grass cover for late-season ground-nesting birds, hares, and field voles. Some of the hay will be stored for winter feed and bedding, while hay from more botanically rich fields will be used as “green hay” to help restore other grassland on the farm.

Later in the season, our Longhorns and Exmoor ponies will graze these fields through autumn and winter, completing the cycle and continuing their quiet, tireless conservation work.