A HERD of goats is helping to improve the condition of nationally important heathland on the outskirts of Minehead.

The Crown Estate, which owns the 2.5-hectare area of land on Hopcott Common - a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest - has shunned modern pruning machines in favour of letting the animals do what comes naturally.

The goats, leased from local grazier Angela Brown, have been on the common since August and have been munching their way through tons of unwanted vegetation and providing a sustainable way of controlling scrub encroachment.

The Crown Estate's Dunster team, who manage the heathland, have been working with local contractors and volunteer groups to improve the land through a number of measures, including swaling, or controlled burning, and the cutting of mature birch scrub.

But the goats have been found to be more effective at targeting some of the unwanted species than commercially available equipment.

And the combined efforts of man and animals has led to the heathland recently being upgraded by Natural England to 'favourable recovering condition', while previously it was described as being in an unfavourable condition.

The work is expected to benefit the diverse range of wildlife and plant species that live on the common, such as the endangered heath fritillary butterfly and a range of other heathland species, including red deer and Dartford warblers.

Countryside manager Andrew Player said the goats had made a real difference in helping to sustainably manage what was an important local environment.

"As well as being a great help in our work to improve the common, the goats have also proved to be quite a popular attraction locally as they're full of character and extremely friendly," he said.

Visitors to the common are welcome to go and see the goats, although they are asked to keep a sensible distance and ensure dogs are under close control.

A controlled burning programme to further improve the quality of the SSSI is expected to start in the autumn, if weather conditions allow.

Photos: Rebecca Overton