Trust gives cows a lift with new lough barge

Trust gives cows a lift with new lough barge

15 October 2014

HOW do you moove cows around Strangford Lough? The answer is a traditional one — by barge.
The National Trust has been ferrying livestock across the internationally acclaimed waterway for many years and last week unveiled a new vessel to maintain a tradition dating back many years.
The new custom-built Cuan Brig — designed to help island life in Strangford Lough — was officially named last week with all the pomp and ceremony accorded to a modern day ocean liner.
A sacrificial bottle of locally distilled whisked was smashed against the side of the new barge in true vessel naming tradition.
The new barge’s name was suggested through a public competition and chosen for its local significance, with the naming ceremony held last week at Strangford Lough Yacht Club.
In attendance were a large number of well-wishers who joined together to witness the naming ceremony and the smashing of the bottle of whiskey.
The barge transports livestock and equipment out to the islands on Strangford Lough for conservation grazing, valuable for island wildlife and the character of the landscape, as well as maintaining the local culture of taking animals onto the islands.
The National Trust has operated a barge on the waterway for several decades but the last vessel had to be scrapped after many years of service.
The Trust’s coast and countryside manager, Andrew Upton, explained the organisation works closely with the local community as the waterway’s custodians.
“We manage 25 islands as well as a very large portion of the foreshore. We not only look after what can be seen above the water, but life below the surface. As a charity, we really rely upon the support of volunteers, graziers, and local members in looking after these special places,” said Andrew.
The Trust’s head ranger on Strangford Lough, Hugh Thurgate, said everyone is very proud of the new barge which he described as a “hugely important asset” to Strangford and the local farming community.
He added: “It ensures that this long history of farming on the islands can continue. It also has huge conservation benefits for the natural and built heritage of this internationally important site.
“In particular, wildflower rich meadows found on the islands will be conserved through grazing by traditional breeds of livestock such as Galloway cattle.”
The National Trust secured £130,000 to fund the custom built barge, from a range of internal and external sources including the Environment Agency which also provides ongoing support for the Trust’s work on the Lough. The NGO Challenge fund also supported the barge project.