A 5 Minute Guide to the Limestone Country Project

What is the Limestone Country Project?

Started in 2002 and the first of its kind and scale, the Limestone Country Project was a six-year project to encourage farmers to re-introduce native cattle breeds onto internationally important areas of the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

The project’s aims were to protect and improve some of England's most important wildlife sites by ensuring that large areas of upland limestone grassland are grazed with cattle.

Where is the Limestone Country?

Limestone country is located in the uplands around Ingleborough, Malham and Wharfedale in the south of the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

Gordale & Limestone pavement

What is so special about the Limestone Country?

The landscapes of limestone country have been formed as a result of Carboniferous limestone rocks which were laid down some 300 million years ago. The landscape is characterised by dramatic outcrops of bare limestone rock (pavements) interspersed with grasslands. The soils overlying the limestone rock, which are usually very thin and of low fertility, in combination with consistent grazing result in wildflower-rich grasslands for which the limestone country of the Dales is famous.

Limestone country is also an important area for limestone pavements. These rare rock formations have formed as acidic rainwater has seeped along fractures in the limestone, dissolving it to leave blocks or clints of limestone separated by deep fissures or grikes. These pavements are home to a wonderful variety of wildflowers.

Where lime-rich water seeps out from the underlying rock, the wet areas formed are home to a number or wetland plants, including the bird's-eye primrose.

The importance of the wildlife in limestone country has been recognised by the European Commission, through the designation of over 11,000 hectares of land as Special Areas for Conservation.

Malham Tarn & Northern brown argus – female (photographs by Robert Goodison)

What are Special Areas of Conservation?

The rarity and wildlife importance of the limestone country of the Yorkshire Dales has been recognised by the European Commission through the designation by English Nature of two Special Areas for Conservation (SAC) - the Ingleborough Complex SAC and the Craven Limestone Complex SAC. These sites are protected under European legislation - the Habitats Directive and are part of a series of wildlife sites across Europe known as 'Natura 2000'. These sites are given special protection.

What did the Project try to achieve?

The landscapes of limestone country have been created as a result of the limestone geology and moulded by thousands of years of farming. The wide open grassland areas have been produced by years of livestock grazing with cattle and sheep. Some grazing is required to ensure the landscape and its wildlife is maintained for the future.

The project’s aims were to increase the diversity of plant and animal life by encouraging farmers to re-introduce upland native cattle back onto the land. The challenge for the project was to ensure that the farming of limestone country was kept in balance.

The project also aimed to increase the understanding of the need to graze upland grasslands with native cattle.

Bloody cranesbill (source: Simon Webb) & Limestone scree, Trollers Gill (source: Roger Henson)

Why was the Project needed?

Over the past forty years, the number of cattle grazing the high limestone pastures in limestone country has decreased. Many of these cattle have been replaced with sheep and the variety of plant life in the area has decreased. The reason for this is that sheep are very selective about what they eat and will eat the tastier plants in preference to those which are less palatable. This can result in a loss of some of the rarer plants from grassland areas and also the development of taller completely ungrazed areas.

To reverse this trend in livestock grazing the project paid farmers to reintroduce native cattle which are less selective grazers. The result was to be a richer diversity of wildflowers for which the limestone country of the Dales is famous.

Why native upland cattle?

Native upland cattle, such as Beef Shorthorn, Galloway and Blue Grey would have been a common site in the upland farms of the Dales only forty years ago. However with the move to more intensive production of beef these breeds began to disappear.

Blue Grey & Black Galloway

Unlike the hardy native breeds, the popular modern breeds used today are not entirely suitable for the harsh climate and poor quality grazing of limestone country. The hardy breeds are much more capable of surviving on rough grasslands and converting this grazing into good quality beef.

Why cattle? Why not just reduce the number of sheep?

The richness of the plant life across limestone country is a product of many years of man's farming in the uplands. The Yorkshire Dales is not a natural wilderness; it has been formed as a result of man's interaction with the land.

Just reducing the number of sheep that graze the land, or getting rid of them altogether, would not enhance the environment of limestone country. Certain grasses would flourish at the expense of others and overall there might be a loss of wildflower species.

By reducing the number of sheep and complimenting this by introducing hardy cattle the project aimed to achieve a balance of grazing which allowed all the plant life in limestone country to flourish.

What plants benefited from the Project?

In the limestone grasslands it was expected there would be an increase in bloody crane's-bill, small scabious, rockrose and early purple orchids. Across the limestone pavements some of the rare plants to benefit included limestone fern, baneberry, Soloman's seal and rigid buckler fern. In addition it was expected there would be an increase in tree and shrub cover in some areas.

Baneberry (source: Robert Goodison) & Limestone fern

Who was involved in the Project?

The project was led by a partnership of nature conservation and farming interests including Natural England, the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, The National Trust, European Union LIFE fund, Grazing Animals Project, Rare Breeds Survival Trust, National Beef Association and the area's farmers.

How many farms joined the Project?

The project encouraged 17 farms to join. The farms entered whole farm conservation plans which agreed how the land would be managed and farmed. Farmers assisted in helping convert their farms to ensure that the new cattle could be properly looked after. They were also given assistance to help them enter other environmental schemes.

How much land has been covered by the Project?

This depended on how many farms entered the project - the target was to see cattle introduced to over 1,500 hectares of limestone country by the end of the project, however, we exceeded this targeted and achieved cattle grazing on over 1,850 hectares.

How many cattle did the Project support?

The number of cattle the project supported depended on the farms involved, the appropriate stocking levels for each area of land and the type of cattle system the farmers chose. It is envisaged that there will be approximately 500 new cattle across limestone country in the next few years.

Luing cattle & Black Galloway (photography by Robert Goodison)

How much did the Project cost?

The total project value was £1.27 million, of which over £550,000 was a European LIFE (nature) Fund grant. As limestone country includes Special Areas for Conservation (SAC) it qualified for the LIFE grant, which provided funds to help conserve and restore wildlife habitats. The remaining funding for the project came from the project partners.

What did the Project pay for?

The project paid for three main things:

It provided financial support to farmers to encourage them to return to mixed livestock farming systems, including the re-introduction of hardy cattle. This paid for the increased cost to farmers, including the conversion of cattle sheds, the provision of water to remote land where the cattle grazed and the purchase of cattle and their transport to the land.
Further money was provided to help farmers with the extra work required to manage the cattle on this remote land.
A research and monitoring programme helped the project learn how the cattle benefited wildlife and also the impact on farm businesses.

What will happen to the cattle?

One of the ongoing aims of the project is to help the farmers develop a viable financial livelihood. As part of the agreement farmers will keep an agreed number of cattle on their farm and the cattle they rear will provide part of their farm incomes. The stock they breed from their herds can then be sold for meat or as new breeding stock. By working with local auction markets, butchers and restaurants the project will be looking to develop specialist markets for this 'specially farmed' beef. By doing so it is hoped the farmers will develop a ready outlet for their beef with a premium price over intensively produce beef.