Incident number: 919
Response ID: 305,301,407
Date: 29/07/2024
Location: Lydham Shropshire
Sharon’s story:
“We were walking the on the Shropshire Way footpath through a field and the group of cows started charging towards us. It was very frightening. My husband stood in front of them ‘making himself big’ and shouting at them which just gave me time to get to the gate then he ran for the gate. They ran after him.”
Thankfully there were no injuries but the route needs better warning signs
Incident number: 917
Response ID: 305,239,967
Date: 25.07.2024
Location: Powys, Meifod
Bethany’s story
“My husband and I entered the field with no dog, following the public footpath. The cows and calves were some distance away and did not appear to take notice of us at first. We were heading toward a gate leading back out of the field and when we were about halfway there the cows started to approach, slowly at first. I turned and raised my arms and shouted and this seemed to slow them down. We kept walking at normal pace. Suddenly we could see the whole herd picking up speed and coming straight for us. We started running toward the gate and somehow made it through just in time, as moments later the first of the herd arrived and were kicking up quite a row, loud enough to bring someone out of a nearby house to see what was going on. We were quite shaken and had to sit down on the verge. The lady who came out hadn’t seen what happened but kindly advised us not go in that field as the cows are quite ‘savage’ at this time of year. Too bad she wasn’t there to tell us that at the first gate.
A sign would’ve been helpful, as if we had realised the danger we would’ve taken an alternative route (although this would’ve involved walking down a narrow lane with blind bends) I think we were extremely lucky to not be injured, or worse.”
Incident number: 917
Response ID:
Date: 25/7/2024
Location: SA79EA (Swansea, Birchgrove)
Steve said he was walking on a public footpath in the above postcode along a narrow lane. He was forced to walk directly through a group of cows and was badly frightened. “The cows and calves are loose in a narrow lane fenced on both sides . It is not possible to pass without walking through the herd . The animals are spooked and some will run in any direction trying to escape”
“The animals should be contained in a fenced and gated field and not be allowed to roam in a narrow lane It is much easier to avoid any contact with them in a larger area”
Incident number: 915
Response ID: 305,149,576
Date: 27.07.21
Location: Twixt Hutton le Hole and Appleton le Moors, North Yorkshire
This is a historic event but needs telling to warn others of the dangers involved with cows.
Janet had always loved cows and had done this walk on numerous occasions with her husband and her dogs. They were on a public footpath and saw the cows approaching and realising they were in danger, they released the dogs. One of the dogs was so traumatised that it was only found the morning after. Janet’s husband John was headbutted by one of the cattle and was thrown almost 1.5 metres into the air. They then came for Janet. She said “Shoo, shoo, shoo” which made them back off a little, but then one came and knocked her over. Fortunately she was spotted and helped over a fence by off duty firefighter who called an ambulance. Both Janet and John had multiple injuries including fractured ribs and a punctured lung and were both in James Cook Hospital for 10 days. The Police and HSE have both been involved and legal case has been actioned against the farmer.
“Overall it was deeply stressful, we are lucky to be alive!”
One of our members, Jill, appeared on Countryfile last weekend 21st July 2024 with her husband Mark talking about their attack three years ago, near Stockport, Greater Manchester, as part of farm safety week.
She was seriously injured by a herd of cows and older calves. She broke multiple bones and spent two weeks in ICU and a total of three months in hospital.
I don’t know if you realise how traumatic the recall of her story must be for both her and her husband and how brave both she, and other people who tell their story are, to spread awareness in the hope that it will save others from the same fate.
Her full story was also reported in the Manchester Evening News. the link is included below plus a picture of the brave couple in a much happier picture.
I was attacked by a herd of cows. I really thought I was going to die
Incident number: 913
Response ID: 305,066,633
Date: 22.07.24
Location: Chailey Commons
Lizi’s story
I was walking on my own with my dog on a lead along a public right of way. Cows began charging towards me (and dog, quietly on lead) from an adjoining field. I moved slowly towards the hedge hoping they’d come through and pass, but they continued to charge towards me. The bull came round the corner and charged at me with horns down. I had to scare it away. All other cows came round and surrounded me, staring at me. I managed to get out of the field through the gap they entered, but they then proceeded to head towards a different gap back towards my direction, whilst all still staring straight at me.
Fortunately Lizi and her dog were unharmed but obviously badly scared.
Incident number: 909
Response ID: 304,951,617
Date: 17.07.24
Location: On Welsh Coast Path midway between St Brides and Rumney Great Wharf, Near Cardiff.
Elaine’s Story
“I was walking along the ridge, on a PROW, with the sea wall on my left and the ditch to my right when a large herd of cows were walking towards me. I very quietly walked past most of them as I had nowhere to move to. Cows were also in the ditch and on the slope. However, one cow started to charge at me and I had nowhere to go. Scared for my life I just stood frozen and shouted “No” as loud as I could several times. Eventually it turned away. This happened twice with this herd. Further on, near to where the path turns right towards Cardiff another herd exited the field they were in and came up onto the path! Again, one cow started to charge at me and I repeated the shouting and I was left staring into the eyes of a cow who wouldn’t move. Fortunately, I saw a worker in a field in a civil and I waved to him and shouted and to his credit he ran across the field and up to the path to rescue me. He kept the cows away so I could pass. He said they wouldn’t have hurt me, but I wasn’t taking any more risks. On both occasions I had nowhere I could move to get out of their way. I have never been so frightened in my life, and this has put me off walking alone.
I would like livestock to be kept away from National Trails. I understand it’s difficult when a path goes through a farmer’s field but when a National Trail is developed the livestock should not be allowed to wander onto it.”
Incident number: 908
Response ID: 304,915,812
Date: 16.07.24
Location: Taw Marsh Belstone Devon
A group of us were Walking across the moor, on a Public Right of Way, and attempting to avoid the group of cows like we always do as we have a dog and then all of a sudden, the group of cows charged towards us. I let the dog off the lead as he was clearly not helping but the cows kept advancing towards us. One particular cow appeared to be the ring leader and kept advancing no matter what direction we took. It eventually charged at one of our party and threw him off his feet which resulted in him breaking two ribs. I ran towards the cows with a stick and they eventually backed off otherwise I fear my friend would have been trampled. These were very dangerous Ferral animals and there are NO signs warning of their potential danger on the moor.
When incidents like this are reported these cows need to be confined – clearly there was one ring leader and the rest followed but this WILL end in a very serious incident if not attended to. We are quite traumatised but consider ourselves VERY lucky.”
The first incident in this area that we are aware of occurred in October 2023 when a rogue cow attacked a walker on their own. https://www.okehampton-today.co.uk/opinion/letter-to-the-editor-public-safety-on-dartmoor-needs-to-be-considered-623316
Incident number: 907
Response ID: 304,899,542
Date: 15.07.24
Location: On the Cotswold way in the first field just above Thrift Wood farm just outside Wood Stanley.
“As we entered the field, we saw there were young cattle across the path. The dog was on a very short leash. We walked slowly and calmly up the field. The cows who were already quite close and on the path itself. They started to show an interest in us and the dog, coming slowly towards us then running and mooing. We let the dog off the lead and she ran up the hill. The cows started coming towards us very quickly. Luckily there was a closed metal farmers gate of the side of the field and we made towards that with the cows very close and climbed over. Luckily the dog could squeeze under it as I am sure she would have been stood on. It was very scary and we then spent a long time trying to find an alternative route.”
Incident number: 904
Response ID: 304,799,249
Date: 01.01.24
Location: Totley Moor, Derbyshire, Peak District
Cheska’s story “I was walking along the bridleway with my deaf elderly dog and partner. A herd of cows were seen in the distance and plenty of people had walked past them prior to us facing them. As we got closer the herd split up so we stopped to allow the rest of the herd to join where they were migrating to. As we had stopped one of the cows that had already crossed looked up and charged towards my dog. I got caught in the middle and was thrown in the air and suffered an open fracture to my tibia and fibula. As I had to lay on the floor the cow tried to charge at me again but I screamed in the cows face, shouting for help and the cow re-joined its herd. The bridleway was busy so it was easy to get attention of other walkers, Edale mountain rescue were called, they re-established blood flow to my leg and an air ambulance was called to take me to the hospital. I have had two surgery’s since, and as I’m pregnant (we had just found out) I had to be awake for both surgery’s! I suffer from severe PTSD and needed extensive therapy and physiotherapy
There were no signs for cattle & I’m shocked to learn what happened to me had happened to somebody just a few months prior in almost the same circumstances!”
Incident number: 902
Response ID: 304,618,394
Date: 30.06.22
Location: Near the M1 in Derbyshire when walking from Scarsdale Abbey to Bolsover Castle.
Jennifer P’s story: “My husband and I were walking from Scarsdale Hall to Bolsover Castle along public footpaths on a route we’d found online. As we neared the M1, the route took us into a field of cattle with a wire fence along one side. It was soon after an episode of Doc Martin had aired where Doc Martin had to jump over a barbed wire fence when he was being pursued by a herd of cattle, and I joked to my husband that we’d end up doing a Doc Martin if the cattle came for us. I have to admit I was wary of them. My grandad was a farmer and kept cattle. I used to play with them as a child and wasn’t scared of them at all, but there was something about the way these cattle looked at us that I didn’t like. Sure enough, we were half way through the field and they began to charge. We were near the fence and managed to get over it without injuring ourselves. But we were then trapped on a steep slope of brambles. Even if we’d fought our way up through the brambles, it led to the motorway so not an ideal escape route for pedestrians. The farmer was a hundred metres or so away cutting hedges on a tractor so we yelled and he eventually spotted us and came over. He waved the cattle away with a stick and we climbed back onto the path and went to safety. He wasn’t apologetic – he said they were just curious. They were stampeding and we could have been crushed. I wish I’d reported it to the HSE at the time but I didn’t know that you could. This is one of four near misses we’ve had with cattle in the last four years and I’m now too scared to walk anywhere near them.”
Report number: 901
Date of incident: 5/7/24
Site of incident: Three of us were crossing the Public right of way (PROW) on Coton Mill Farm land heading from Old Gayton Gorse to Mill Lane (OS Grid Reference: SJ 9783 3116) We were following the Pathfinder Staffordshire Outstanding Circular Walks Walk number 19: Milwich and Sandon Park.
Report: It was getting dusk and we were trying to return to Milwich where we had parked. We followed the PROW using OS Maps app and guide book. The field was quiet initially but around half way across we climbed to the top of a slope and were spotted by large young cows from the other side of the field. They were a distance away and we’re seasoned walkers with plenty of experience. We stayed close together and walked quietly and consistently.
It started with one bullock taking notice and like an excited puppy started enthusiastically making it’s way towards us. It was joined by more and more until we had a sizeable number behind us. I turned to face them and they stopped and leaned slightly back with heads low and pensive. I softly said hello and we continued to walk slowly, quietly and made sure our youngest member was protected. They lunged forwards a few times but held back…. playing.
It was really scary, especially when they started to get in front of us also. We did manage to cross the stile safely – but it felt like forever to complete the crossing. They didn’t hurt us, but maybe that’s because we have some experience and were extremely careful with our movements. When we completed our crossing we had the entire herd stood looking at us from the other side of the fence.
We need better marked PROW’s as the signs were appalling in this area apart from the farm on Old Gayton Gorse who had painted the way markers and stiles in high vis paint, which I thought was brilliant. The other farms however had very poorly maintained infrastructure and paths marked, slowing our progress considerably. Cattle were clearly used in multiple areas. We had encountered cattle earlier in the walk but they were young females and weren’t a problem.
If it wasn’t for access to GPS crossing that field where we were surrounded could have been very, very dangerous as it wasn’t clear exactly where our safe exit was.
Cattle Safety 