Danebury Ring

A flock of sheep graze at Danebury; here they are seen in the hillfort interior. Hampshire County Council website says: "The Countryside Service work in partnership with a local grazier to provide a 'conservation flock' of Manx Loughton sheep. This is a traditional breed that are very similar to the sheep that would have been at Danebury in the Iron Age. Chalk down land has evolved over centuries, by the continuous presence of grazing animals and the subsequent flora relies on this type of management for its survival. Scattered scrub is also a valued habitat for nesting birds, insects and small mammals but must be controlled, so that it does not take over the grass land and revert to woods."