Exmoor ponies welcomed to Mill Hill reserve in West Sussex

A herd of Exmoor ponies has taken up residence at Mill Hill nature reserve near Shoreham, brought in by Adur and Worthing Councils to help restore the site's rare chalk grassland habitat.

The ponies arrived after the council, working in partnership with the South Downs National Park Authority, installed 800 metres of new fencing at the reserve to create a dedicated grazing area.

The ponies have been welcomed by visitors to the reserve (Image: Adur and Worthing Councils)

Mill Hill is an 11-hectare Local Nature Reserve and Site of Nature Conservation Importance managed jointly by Adur District Council and the South Downs National Park, prized for its panoramic views over Shoreham and the Adur Valley and its rich butterfly population.

Council officers say grazing offers a gentler alternative to mechanical land management, better suited to Mill Hill's steep slopes and delicate ecology.

The ponies have been brought in specifically to tackle overgrowth and invasive scrub that has begun to encroach on the chalk grassland, a habitat considered internationally important for the biodiversity it supports when properly maintained.

The ponies will help manage the reserve by grazing (Image: Adur and Worthing Councils)

Exmoor ponies are widely regarded as one of Britain's most ancient native breeds, with characteristics thought to be largely unchanged for thousands of years, and are prized for a tough double-layered coat that lets them cope with harsh weather without needing shelter or winter feeding.

Their front-facing incisors let them crop vegetation very close to the ground and tackle coarse, invasive plants that many other grazing animals avoid, making them a favoured tool for restoring species-rich chalk grassland at reserves across the South Downs, including nearby Butser Hill.

It is not the reserve's first experiment with conservation grazing.

Last autumn and winter, 60 Herdwick sheep were introduced to Mill Hill and quickly became popular with regular walkers and dog owners, while helping improve the condition of the grassland.

Exmoor ponies are known for being hardy (Image: Adur and Worthing Councils)

The scheme forms part of the councils' Vision for Nature, adopted last year, which sets out landscape-scale ambitions for protecting and enhancing the natural environment across Adur and Worthing, from the Downs to the coast.

The document identifies Mill Hill as one of several key sites in a wider strategy connecting green spaces between Worthing and Shoreham.

The Exmoor ponies will graze at Mill Hill through the summer months, with the Herdwick sheep due to return for autumn, winter, and early spring under a rotational grazing plan.

The council thanked the South Downs National Park Authority for its support in bringing the ponies to the site and asked visitors to view them from a respectful distance, keeping dogs under close control.

Mill Hill sits above Shoreham-by-Sea and includes a 500-metre easy-access trail suitable for wheelchair and pushchair users, with benches every 150 metres, alongside less accessible paths leading to the reserve's highest viewpoints.