The Hills and Commons are grazed by livestock all year round.  This grazing helps maintain the open aspect, the wonderful views and the special wildlife habitats too.

Grazing is undertaken through Malvern Hills Trust's projects, where livestock are fenced within temporary enclosures, 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 enclosures, 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.

Stockwatch provides information on the locations of livestock for the Malvern Hills Trust's projects where temporary electric-fenced enclosures are erected. 

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.

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

Northern Hills

Cattle and sheep with lambs on South East Worcestershire Beacon.

Central Hills

Cattle and sheep with lambs on West Pinnacle Hill. 

Southern Hills

Sheep with lambs on British Camp to Swinyard Hill.

Old Hills

Cattle no longer on the Old Hills.

Map of grazing compartments (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.

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 keep a running tally of worrying incidents and dog attacks on livestock to highlight the frequency of these events on the Malvern Hills and Commons.

From the 1st January 2020
Number of chasing incidents - 10
Number of attacks on livestock - 3
Number of livestock deaths - 2

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 use the lead and don't put your pet in that position.

Thank you.

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

Updated 15th June 2020

Sheep Safe courses

The popular Sheep Safe dog training courses are restarting this month.  The courses help to teach dog owners how to encourage their dog to ignore livestock to reduce the risk of sheep worrying on the Malvern Hills and Commons.  More information can be found here.

The first of the 6-week courses is already fully booked.  

The next Sheep Safe course will begin on the 9th August.  The six sessions will be held on Sundays from 2pm- 4pm.  Please contact trainer Sue Harper on sharperdogs[@]hotmail.co.uk or call 077452 62610  for more information and to book your place.  Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, there are limited spaces and places will be granted on a first come, first served basis.

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.