Here at Kendal Calling we pride ourselves for bringing incredible live acts and arts to the Lake District for the biggest weekend of the summer. We’re so fortunate to have such a beautiful landscape to transform into our magical wonderland each year, but we aren’t the only ones who admire the area surrounding us. Wildlife and greenery thrive for the rest of the year thanks to the hard work and dedication of the Lowther Estate.
We are proud to be hosted by Lowther every year, they are passionately committed to improving the land and wildlife of the estate along with being proactive in their vast conservation efforts. From incorporating tree planting, introducing new heritage animals, and natural habitat protection. They are key players in bettering the fields we hold dear.
As part of the conservation efforts, they have taken up rewilding, allowing the English Longhorns to roam freely on the fields for the rest of the year like our distant roommates, each bringing their own unique personalities and quirks that only add more charm to an already flourishing area, “The cows definitely have their own personalities” explains Laura, a member of the Lowther team “working with them over the last few years the staff have gotten to know them well. It’s great to see the calves grow and learn from the herd.” In the summer months these majestic creatures can be seen utilising the wetlands, rivers, and streams to cool off in, a pleasant contrast to the once near-uninhabited area.
It was also delightfully confirmed that as of last week, Lowther now has 48 calves on the grounds. That’s a small village of Longhorns who are vital in bettering the vegetation and agriculture that surrounds them.“They are amazing at creating vegetation mosaic and diversity” explains Jim Bliss, the Conservation Manager at Lowther Estate “They transport seed from our woodlands and meadows into other pastures and they expose soil with their heavy foot prints allowing seeds to reach soil and germinate.”
With each Longhorn born onto the Estate comes an adorable name to pair with it, “All females have names. Each year we use a different letter. Currently in 2023 all heifers born start with ‘B’. So far names include; Beech, Blossom, Bluebell, Betty, Barbie, Birch, Brooke, Bambi and a few others” explains Jim “for example if a cow was called Grape, her calf would be called Vine” so in theory we could have a mother cow named KendalCaller, and then all offspring could be named after a stage (this isn’t a hint, but if a member of the Lowther team happens to see this and loves the idea we are fully on board).
The Longhorn lineage has had a massive positive impact for the team at Lowther. Laura described that a top moment for her has been “the birth of our first heifer calf back in November 2019 – Lowther Park Una. She has grown well since then and I’m pleased to report she had her first calf on 3rd May this year.” Una and her family along with the other 46 cattle like Grape and her daughter Vine, could live where you pitch your very tent or park your campervan.
Lowther takes on the approach of “nature friendly farming” as explained by Jim, “this has a focus on the delivery of benefits towards nature recovery as our primary focus. This involves managing our cattle holistically to get our grazing pressure right. Alongside this grazing plan, we have done a lot of work with habitat creation to help improve the environment alongside the cattle” and we hope our attendees will take on this approach too, by remembering we share the land with the Longhorns as well as other wildlife, and to help make sure we don’t leave any unwanted items or rubbish that will disrupt the cattle’s abode.
Lowther Estate have made ambitious changes to our annually adopted home, from their nature friendly farming to their conservation efforts, they have allowed natural processes to return to the land, which has allowed for wildlife to thrive. The Longhorns are only a taste of the positive impact put into rewilding, and we love watching the area only continue to flourish.
We are so thankful that we get to borrow this stunning area and live amongst the beauty of Lowther Estate every year, and you never know, maybe you’ll even spot a Longhorn during your visit…
Visit the Lowther Estate website here and learn more!
