Incident number 1063
Response ID 311,396,400
Public Right of Way: Y
Date: 26.08.24
Site: Hawkshead, Cumbria
Julia Dixon has written this account: “We were walking along a public footpath when my husband was butted by a cow with a calf who approached from the middle of the field. He was pushed into the fence and bruised. The cow also butted the dog who fell over and the cow went to try and crush our dog with its head. My husband kicked the cow to save the dog, and luckily the cow backed off. My husband escaped with minor cuts and bruising.
I wanted to contact the farmer and local people as this is a well used footpath, but I did not know who I needed to contact. The footpath leads directly into Hawkshead Village which is full of tourists in summer.”
Julia adds a list of suggestions that would improve safety (Killer Cows agree with her) –
*Fencing – even electric fences which are portable and very cheap to install and run. We use them for horses.
*Footpaths could be diverted around the edge of the field of the field if necessary where they usually run through the middle.
*Warning on the gate and phone number for farmers.
*Proper recording for incidents with farmers liable.
Cattle Safety 
Where cows are in a field that a footpath crosses the footpath should be safely fenced off either permanently dividing the field so the farmer has two smaller areas, or by a temporary electric fence.
This needs to be a legal requirement.
Cows are huge unpredictable animals; farmers are themselves sometimes crushed and injured. Walkers on rights of way need to be safe. It is not always possible to avoid the field and find an alternative route. Sometimes it is terrifying to come over a rise and see cows immediately ahead.
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We absolutely agree with you, Diane.
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I agree with all those suggestions, except the warning on the gate. Farmers seem to think that lets them off any responsibility. It is clear from the number of these incidents that cattle need to be separated from wwalkers. If they are separated from walkers a sign wouldn’t really be necessary.
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