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 lambing season every spring at Old Lodge Farm, which is the base for our Downlands Partnership Grazing service and welcomed 87 lovely lambs to join our flock in April 2025. We are currently preparing for our 2026 lambing season and newborns are due from the end of March and this 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. Farm volunteering sessions usually run on Wednesdays and Fridays from 8am and end by 3pm.
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 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.
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.
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: