The Hills and Commons are grazed by livestock all year round.  This grazing helps protect the natural beauty, flora and fauna, and the wonderful views too.

Grazing is undertaken through Malvern Hills Trust's projects, where livestock are fenced within temporary compartment, and also by local people who hold commoners rights to graze their cattle and sheep across the landscape.  

Visitors to the Malvern Hills are welcome to explore the areas within the temporary grazing compartments, which can be accessed through pedestrian gates.  Please remember to keep you dog on a lead near livestock and under close control at all times as livestock may be found anywhere at any time.

Livestock within temporary electric-fenced compartments can be found in the following locations:

Northern Hills

Cattle and sheep with lambs on west Worcestershire Beacon.

Central Hills

Cattle and sheep with lambs moving to west Pinnacle Hill. 

Southern Hills

Sheep no longer in a compartment on British Camp.  Sheep may be found freely grazing from British Camp to Gullet Quarry.

Old Hills

Cattle no longer on the Old Hills.

Map of grazing compartments (northern and central hills) (PDF)

Cattle and sheep with lambs can be found throughout Castlemorton and Hollybed Commons at this time.

You can sign up to receive weekly updates to your email inbox here.  Stockwatch is also published in the Malvern Gazette every Friday.

Stockwatch provides information on the locations of livestock for the Malvern Hills Trust's projects where temporary electric-fenced compartments are erected. Temporary fencing is erected under section 15 of the Malvern Hills Act 1995.

As most of our land is Common Land, commoners do graze livestock freely across the Hills and Commons and members of the public should therefore be ready to encounter livestock anywhere and at anytime.  The locations of these livestock are not included in Stockwatch. 

Please remember that dogs must be kept under close control at all times.  If in doubt, put your dog on a lead.

Sheep Safe courses

The first Sheep Safe training course dates have been announced for 2022.

Courses with dog trainer and behaviourist Sue Harper are aimed at teaching owners how to encourage their dogs to ignore livestock.  The six-session course will begin on Sunday 24th April from 2pm to 4pm.

Those wishing to find out more information or book a place on the course should contact Sue Harper on sharperdogs[@]hotmail.co.uk or phone 01684 568067.   All courses will be run with Covid safety measures in place.  Spaces are limited and places on the course will be granted on a first come, first served basis. An initial telephone assessment will be required to assess the suitability of the training for your dog.

Commoner's Rights

Of the land we care for, 90% is registered Common Land.  This means that local people have the traditional right to graze a set number of sheep or cattle on the Hills and Commons.  

Although the numbers of active commoners who are turning out livestock has decreased, rights still exist and at any time people could choose to put livestock back on the Hills.  This grazing would be outside of our grazing projects so would not be enclosed and therefore we are not able to provide information for visitors on their location through Stockwatch.

Please make sure that if you're visiting with your dog that you're prepared to meet livestock at any time.  MHT are not responsible for any animals not within the Trust's grazing projects.

Find out more about Common Land - Foundation for Common Land 

Livestock worrying - Stock count

We will be keeping a running tally of dog attacks on livestock throughout 2022 to highlight the frequency of these events on the Malvern Hills.

From the 1st January 2022
Number of chasing incidents - 4
Number of attacks on livestock - 1
Number of livestock deaths - 3

Dog attacks on sheep are distressing for everyone involved; the sheep, the dog, the grazier and the dog owner.

By following signage and putting your dog on a lead near livestock you can put an end to these incidents and remove the worry when walking your dog in this farmed landscape.  All breeds of dog could chase sheep and even well-trained dogs can become fixated on livestock, so please put your dog on a lead near the cattle and sheep, and don't put your pet in that position.

Thank you.

From the 1st January 2021 to 31st December 2021
Number of chasing incidents - 8
Number of attacks on livestock - 5
Number of livestock deaths - 2

Not all livestock worrying incidents are witnessed or reported to us so this tally is an underrepresentation of the actual number.

Updated 1st March 2022

Reporting an incident

Each and every year, we receive reports from the public and from the graziers that sheep and cattle have been chased and attacked by dogs.  Livestock worrying is a criminal offence. To report livestock worrying by dogs, which includes chasing, on the Hills or Commons call the Police on 101.  Please also call the office on 01684 892002 so we can alert the grazier to attend.  The faster the animal can receive emergency veterinary treatment the better its chances of recovery.