Response ID 291,908,092, Report number 792
Date of incident: 12/09/23
no dog lone walker
I was walking on my own on a footpath on the north side of the stream which flows east to Fordingbridge from beyond Rockbourne. I entered the large field by a stile at the east end with the exit stile at the west end. The path was parallel to a fence with stream lower down & brambles & shrubs filling the gap between the barbed wire fence & stream. The field rises on the right but stays level by the fence all the way to the exit stile. It seemed a long way on level ground to the exit in the west.
After a few steps I saw cattle grazing on the sky line near the top of the field. When I next looked one was staring at me. I avoided looking at them & walked a little faster. I looked up after a few seconds and the herd of about 10 cattle were walking down hill exactly towards me. I knew if they started to go faster I would not make it to the end. I quickened without running. I felt the ground vibrating, looked sideways & saw they were running towards me. The barbed wire fence on my left had brambles & thick vegetation behind it.
The cattle were close so I climbed the fence, getting over just before they reached me, cutting my hand badly on the barbed wire. I jumped into the brambles and managed to scurry under them towards the stream, I heard banging and at least two cows were pushing the fence posts. Looking through the brambles I could see their feet & lowered heads. They were making blowing noises. I stayed still for several minutes. I could see their legs but I don’t think they could see me.
After a time the snorting stopped & they seemed to amble off parallel to the fence but luckily in the direction I had come from. I crawled under the bramble thicket & was able to stand near the stream. I made my way towards the stile I had aimed at, but on the stream side of the fence. I crept along but trod on a twig! Within a second or two the cattle were back, snorting & trying to look through the brambles, pushing at the fence. I waited silently out of sight & they drifted off again. I made my way quietly to the stile via the thick undergrowth. I reached the junction where the fence met the stile & looked over the fence. The cattle were all grazing halfway up the hill. So I forced my way through the brambles, climbed the fence back into the field & immediately crossed the stile into safety.
It was horrible. Luckily although in my 70’s I am still agile. When I returned 3 hours later after lunch at Rockbourne I took a track two fields higher to avoid the cattle. I met a man of my age walking a dog & told him what had happened. He said he had passed the farmer the day before whom he was on ‘good morning’ terms with & had commented that it was unusual for the cows to be in that field. He told me the farmer had moved them that day because contractors were booked to cut trees in their usual field. Maybe they were unsettled by that the dog walker surmised. He told me where he thought the farmer lived but I did not want to retrace my steps.
I had multiple scratches & stings from the brambles & nettles, my hand was cut across my palm and two fingers were cut by the barbed wire.
I reported to the police and they are investigating. I have yet to hear back from them.
It has spoilt my life long enjoyment of walking in the countryside. I have just come back from a weeks pre-booked walking around Church Stretton Shropshire, & I was very very uneasy when the route went through fields of cattle. It is no good a farmer putting up a notice saying be careful of the cattle. They should not be there if they could kill people. I still remember those Hampshire cattle actually hunting me & trying to break a fence to get to me. There is no other explanation for the herd’s behaviour.
Cattle Safety 