Shire horse used to harrow Stourbridge Common in Cambridge

Captain Jack the Shire horse was out on Stourbridge Common on Tuesday (April 5) to maintain the popular green space.

Cambridge city councillor Alex Collis is one of the people behind the initiative, along with, among others, Sergio Ballarin, head gardener at Christ’s College.

Cllr Collis said the idea came from a similar event she witnessed at King’s Meadow last year, adding: “I was talking to the people who organised it and we got to thinking about whether we could apply that to city council open spaces.

“We’re obviously trying to be a zero carbon council so it’s a great low-carbon way of maintaining open spaces.”

Harrowing the turf is a traditional method of maintaining pasture.

It can help remove dead grass and vegetation and aerate the soil.

Stourbridge Common is also traditionally maintained in the summer by grazing cattle.

Shire horses were used to mow the wildflower meadow in August at King’s College.