By Lisa Ramsden
A traditional breed of cattle, more accustomed to Scotland, is playing a critically important role in the conservation and protection of the Bloody Bridge site near Newcastle. Recently, the National Trust introduced a number of Belted Galloway cattle to the site overlooking the coast road, in a bid to help control the amount of gorse and undergrowth that quickly take hold when fires break out.
Historically, the site has been the victim of high-profile blazes, both started intentionally and accidentally. Most recently, the Bloody Bridge area was the focus of several days of firefighting action in April. This incident followed a major blaze in April 2022 that burned over a number of mountains, including Slieve Donard, for three days.
Although the site itself is small—covering around 33 hectares (81.5 acres) and measuring only a handful of metres wide at its narrowest point—it attracts well over 40,000 visitors each year and packs, in conservation terms, a mighty punch. The area is designated as part of the wider Eastern Mournes Special Area of Conservation and contains a medley of rare lowland heath and mire.
The National Trust controls the scrub and bracken to create space for heathland plants to thrive, but other forms of help are required to maintain the habitats and keep them in good ecological condition. Cue the arrival of a small herd of this variety of beef cattle—with their distinctive black bodies and striking white band or ‘belt’ around their middles—who quickly adapted to their new surroundings.
Since arriving at the site last month, they have already made great progress in breaking up some of the denser vegetation, as well as grazing firebreaks, previously cut by Trust staff, and keeping them clear of any potential source of fuel for fires. James Fisher, the National Trust’s lead mountain ranger for Murlough and the Mournes, said the cattle are renowned for their ability to “thrive on fresh air and a fine view,” both of which, he is delighted to highlight, “are found in abundance at the Bloody Bridge.”
Read the full story in the current issue of the Mourne Observer.
