It was the practice to keep sheep in the Gardens to maintain the grass.
In the 1920s and 30s, sheep were used in London parks to keep the grass down. Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, Clapham Common and Hampstead Heath all had sheep grazing on them, and there was much competition between shepherds to get their flocks chosen for the privilege. There was considerable profit to be made too - for when they were good and fat, the sheep were herded to Smithfield Meat Market to be prepared for the table.
