Once I was a clever boy learning the arts of Oxford... is a quotation from the verses written by Bishop Richard Fleming (c.1385-1431) for his tomb in Lincoln Cathedral. Fleming, the founder of Lincoln College in Oxford, is the subject of my research for a D. Phil., and, like me, a son of the West Riding. I have remarked in the past that I have a deeply meaningful on-going relationship with a dead fifteenth century bishop... it was Fleming who, in effect, enabled me to come to Oxford and to learn its arts, and for that I am immensely grateful.


Friday 5 January 2024

Highland cattle and conservation at Culloden

 
Remaining with the sidearm of restoring or recreating historic landscapes there is relevant story from Scotland.

In recent years concern has been expressed about various development projects that have been submitted which trespass on the site of the battle of Culloden - that is in the area beyond the confines of the specifically recognised and conserved battlefield.

However there is good news from the main fighting area in that the landscape is being restored to something closer to what it would have been in 1746. It is one thing to remove later planting of non-native species, but another to keep the soft ground free of these and other invasive species and their resultant tendency to dry out the soil. The use of a herd of traditional Highland cattle has remedied this as they will happily eat any vegetation and thereby remove examples of invasive species naturally, and indeed as would have been the case in 1746. They are also equipped to manage on the wetter, muddy soil conditions that they help to recreate.

There is an article about this from Atlasobscura which can be seen at How Highland Cows Are Restoring Culloden Battlefield’s Historic Bog


No comments: