Conservation grazing service across Surrey and South London
The Downlands Partnership runs a busy conservation grazing service led by Senior Countryside Partnership Officer - Grazing Sean Grufferty and Grazing Project Assistant Damien Laing.
We currently have a flock of 225 animals, comprising Herdwick and Beulah Speckled Face sheep, Sussex cattle and British Feral and Pygmy goats.
We manage an extensive conservation grazing programme on 23 sites to maintain and restore principally rare chalk grassland habitats for our partners, environmental charities and at privately owned sites, including many Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) across the Downlands Partnership area and into Bromley. We also now provide conservation grazing on key countryside sites in the Lower Mole Partnership and Surrey Heathland Partnership areas and on Surrey County Council Countryside Estate sites as well.
How conservation grazing works
Grazing is carried out on a seasonal rotation, matching the needs of the habitat and balancing the needs of the animals. By controlling scrub growth and promoting a diverse mix of plants, grazing helps sustain ecosystems that benefit a wide range of insects, birds and other wildlife. All animals are managed with a focus on welfare and their role as tools of environmental benefit.
Old Lodge Farm and lambing season
We manage our own pasture lambing season every spring at Old Lodge Farm, which is the base for our Downlands Partnership Grazing service and have just welcomed 106 lovely lambs to join our flock, our highest number to date. Our 2026 lambing season took place in March/April and the arrival of the newborns is such a special way to mark the arrival of springtime. Old Lodge Farm is a Surrey County Council owned private 90 acre holding farm managed for biodiversity and the provision of environmental education, located between Banstead and Carshalton.
Voluntary livestock checker and farm volunteer opportunities
Should you be interested in helping us to look after our animals, we currently have around 200 voluntary stock checkers that we have trained to help us to monitor our animals when they are grazing on sites across the partnership area and more are always welcome. The voluntary stock checkers work on a rota arrangement seven days a week, 365 days a year, so their support is vital, rewarding and much appreciated by the Downlands Partnership.
Our Grazing team also has a small dedicated group of farm volunteers that regularly help out at Old Lodge Farm and sometimes with grazing related tasks on other sites as well. The farm volunteers also support us at public events and help us to deliver our bespoke corporate volunteering days. Our farm volunteering sessions usually run on Wednesdays and Fridays from 8am and end by 3pm.
Community engagement and environmental education
The Grazing team also delivers public engagement and environmental education activities to help everyone understand the importance of conservation grazing and countryside management and to encourage community involvement, including providing bespoke summer sessions for scout groups at the farm, hosting Open Farm Sunday at Old Lodge Farm in June and by attending key local countryside fairs in partnership with our charity partner the Downlands Trust.
Tickets for this summer's forthcoming Old Lodge Farm Open Farm Sunday public event on 7 June can be booked online: Open farm tickets.
Get in touch and get involved
Please contact the Grazing team on 07968 832692 or by email: downlands.grazing@surreycc.gov.uk if you are interested in any of our Grazing volunteering opportunities and to find out which current livestock checker rota opportunities are available in our partnership area and to join the waiting list if required.
We also welcome voluntary placements from students studying animal/countryside management, so please do contact us if you would like to join the grazing team on day release from college or for short or longer work experience/training placements. Please note that usually we are unable to welcome voluntary placements during our busy lambing time.
Corporate involvement
Our Grazing team also welcomes corporate groups by special arrangement for bespoke countryside/farm volunteering sessions during mid summer and autumn/winter months at Old Lodge Farm. Please email us at: countrysidepartnershipsteam@surreycc.gov.uk and we can further discuss potential options for your group size together. Our farm bespoke sessions are aimed at larger groups of 12+ attendees and a scaled financial contribution will apply.
We are pleased to have a fantastic established corporate partnership with Fidelity International based in Kingswood, linked to their ongoing support of our charity partner the Downlands Trust. Large groups of staff enjoy getting involved for seasonal bespoke farm sessions and with sponsorship activities to support our conservation work, including recently funding and helping to create a new pond with boardwalk to support biodiversity and environmental education activities.
Our Grazing family in action
You can follow and find out more about our Grazing family (staff, volunteers and all the animals) on our popular Downlands Partnership Grazing social media accounts: