Cattle are back on Midsummer Common for the first time in three years, after the Foot and Mouth epidemic put an end to grazing on the Common.

But the Red Poll steers are not pets and will end up for sale as meat at the end of the season.

800 years after the establishment of grazing rights on commons, local vet Angelika von Heimendahl has introduced a herd of eight Red Poll steers to Midsummer Common.

A rare East Anglian breed, the Red Poll is apparently friendly and not averse to human company, although unlikely to take kindly to chasing by dogs or humans. The cattle are characteristically deep red with a white tail switch.

While anyone who lives within the boundaries of the city of Cambridge can in theory apply for grazing rights, the process is complex and local farmers have been unwilling to graze cattle on the Common in recent years as the animals have to be moved elsewhere while the Common plays host to various fairs over the course of the summer.

But as part of an initiative to improve the condition of the area, the local group Friends of Midsummer Common have supported von Heimendal in her bid to get cattle back into the city.

“They arrived on Good Friday in excellent fettle and have settled in brilliantly”, explained Geoffrey King, Chair of the group. “They have attracted a good deal of interest and children are meeting animals for the first time and for real... They are excellent residents and bring a lot of pleasure to a lot of people.”

Lizzie Mitchell