Cows are set to graze in the countryside alongside a popular nature walk for the first time in 60 years.

The National Trust has confirmed ramblers will see cattle at Golden Hill in Harbledown, Canterbury, in a bid to boost biodiversity.

From October, six Dexter cattle will be introduced to the site and live there during the off-season – before being taken away during the busier summer period.

The new residents will help look after the grassland, naturally controlling weeds and scrub areas through grazing while their presence will also create opportunities for wildflower seeds to take root, and helping biodiversity to blossom too.

When they are in residence, the cattle will be checked regularly by Kent Wildlife Trust but bosses behind the scheme are also hoping to attract volunteers to step up and check in on the livestock.

A spokesperson for the National Trust said: “Golden Hill is an important green space for local people to walk, relax and get out in nature.

“As part of our work to improve the area for visitors, we’ve built a new bench with special upstands to enable people with mobility issues to pause and take in the views more easily.

“To ensure the local community can continue to enjoy Golden Hill alongside the Dexters today, we’ve installed livestock-proof fencing with access for dog walkers.

“The National Trust is working to restore a hectare of lowland grassland here. It’s designated as a ‘priority’ habitat because it’s an increasingly rare habitat that provides a home for specific plants and animals.

“Since securing funding for the project a few years ago, the National Trust has removed overgrown scrub and excess trees. This has opened up the grassland area and historic views, while working to reduce anti-social behaviour.

“We’ve also introduced a water supply and laid hedges, with support from the East Kent National Trust Association, which kindly funded signage too.”

Golden Hill was first gifted by Queen Elizabeth I to The Canterbury Guardians of the Poor, in the 1600s.

It was later acquired by Alice-Ethel Redpath and gifted to the National Trust in 1928.

The Harbledown Mill stood nearby until 1913 when it was demolished due to its dilapidated state – though the Mill House and the foundations of the demolished mill still exist today off Mill Lane.

Harbledown Parish Council took over the management of Golden Hill in 1932 and introduced cattle under a farming tenancy in 1936.

It is still known as ‘Cows Meadow’ by some, with records showing intermittent grazing by cows until the 1960s.

The Air Ministry occupied the site for the mooring of barrage balloons from 1940 until 1945, after which management was then handed back to the National Trust.