The sound of MOOSIC! Clever herd of cows has been enlisted to protect an ancient hill fort in Herefordshire from invaders – by associating music with a virtual fence

It’s a scheme that takes the sound of ‘moosic’ to a new level.

A clever herd of cows has been enlisted to protect an old hilltop fortress from intruders – by associating the sound of music with a virtual fence.

Built in the 5th century BC, Little Doward Hill Fort is located in the Wye Valley, near Whitchurch.

Hundreds of years ago, it provided protection to a prominent Iron Age warlord from approaching Anglo-Saxon warriors.

Now the biggest battle on the site is against the vegetation and invasive species sweeping over it.

The Woodland Trust, which owns the site, has turned to a herd of six Dexter cows to protect and restore the fort – as well as the 82 acres of woodland that surrounds it

And the Woodland Trust, which owns the site, has turned to a herd of six Dexter cows to protect and restore the fort, as well as the 82 acres of woodland that surrounds it.

The cows, who feast on many different types of plants and berries, have learned to associate musical beats played by a solar-powered collar with a virtual fence.

They are trained to respond to the audio zone – meaning they turn when they hear a sound – allowing a perimeter to be maintained without the need for traditional wooden posts and rails.

Richard Brown, Woodland Trust site manager said: ‘Little Doward is a very old and special site with not only the fort looking out over the beautiful Wye Valley, but also ancient woodland.

“It’s a bit of a struggle to protect the fort from vegetation and we’ve moved to grazing a small herd of fluffy and friendly Dexter cows trained to associate musical beats with a virtual fence, so now the eye pain and expense of building a fence is no longer necessary.”

“This is a win for the site all around. For nature and recovery, the cows are ideal grazers for a wide range of animal species. They help spread seeds through their dung and move the soil gently, but without destruction.

“For the fort itself, they are able to prevent vegetation from flooding the fort and the virtual fencing technology helps us, through an app, to move the herd, in effect move the fence.”

Little Doward Woods is part of the Wye Valley Special Area of ​​Conservation and the Upper Wye Gorge Site of Special Scientific Interest.

The cows, who feast on many different types of plants and berries, have learned to associate musical beats played by a solar-powered collar with a virtual fence

Although only a small part of Little Doward Woods is ancient, it is an incredibly important habitat, providing a haven for many plants and animals – some of which are found only in isolated areas in the UK.

Little Doward Woods is part of the Wye Valley Special Area of ​​Conservation (SAC) and the Upper Wye Gorge Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

There are plenty of experienced oaks and beeches here, plus rare and interesting wildlife.

It is of national importance for its saproxylic beetles – species that require dead or decaying wood to complete their life cycle – including the incredibly rare Cosnard’s net-wing beetle.

The large number of old and veteran trees in the forest provide the deadwood and associated fungi that these species rely on.

The fortress itself was the hilltop stronghold of Iron Age chiefs and has been associated with the 5th-century warlord Vortigern, who is said to have fled here from the invading Saxons.