East Sussex dog walkers being 'discouraged' from using Ashdown Forest by herds of cattle

Andrew Hamilton, founder of the Ashdown Forest Dog Walkers Facebook group, says the forest management team have started a campaign to discourage walkers by allowing herds of cattle to roam on the footpaths and car parks.

Andrew said: “I started the [Facebook] group in the summer of last year, as a number of us were very concerned that we were walking in the forest among herds of cattle with young stock.

“Anyone who owns a dog will know cattle do not like dogs, the sight of which can lead to a stampede starting.”

In September 2020, A telecoms worker died after he and his wife were trampled by a herd of cows during a lunchtime walk in Netherton, West Yorkshire.

Michael Holmes, 57, was fatally crushed and his wife Teresa is in a wheelchair following the incident in a field off Hollinghirst Lane.

Andrew says dog walkers, who make up 8% of visitors to the forest, fear something similar may happen in the Sussex countryside if the forest management team refuses to make any changes,

He said: “We are very concerned, we want to enjoy the forest but they put cattle just where we want to go. They are all over the car parks, sometimes I can't even get out of the car park in my car because the cattle are in the way.

“There seems to be a campaign to try and discourage dog walking. One year we are going to have a serious incident and there will be a fatality.”

Ashdown Forest is owned by the Ashdown Forest Trust and managed by the Conservators of Ashdown Forest.

Covering over 10 square miles, it is one of the largest open access areas in Southeast England, with a history of grazing, local farming and food production.

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The Conservators say that to effectively manage the forest’s heathland and ensure the protection of rare wildlife, they use their own herds of sheep, cows and ponies, which undertake conservation grazing behind temporary fencing.

However, Andrew does not agree with this reasoning, saying: “It is all a load of nonsense. The cattle spend most of the time standing on footpaths and in car parks. They are not in the middle of the forest at all, there is no management of them.”

Ashley Walmsley, countryside manager at the Ashdown Forest Centre, told SussexWorld that members of the public can check their website to see when livestock are out grazing in the summer months.

He said: “Visitors and well behaved dogs are always welcome on the Forest. We ask that people follow our code of conduct, so that everyone can enjoy Ashdown Forest together.

“Ashdown Forest is a working, managed landscape, so visitors should expect to see livestock and machinery grazing and working on the land. This is similar to other places in the country like Dartmoor and the New Forest.

“When the livestock are out during the summer months, you can check on our website, which will show the locations where livestock are grazing. This will allow you to plan your route away from the animals if you do not want to meet them.

“We welcome visitors to contact us via the details on our website or to visit the Ashdown Forest Centre if they would like to learn more.”