Incident number 1301
Date: 24.05.26
Site: Roughly this: What3words:Punctuate.Otter.Fronted. Near Over Alderley, Hare Hill permissive path.
1 dog on lead, 3 walkers.
RH’s report: “We were just walking and suddenly a group of cattle burst out of a field (from nowhere) and moved around us, not charging but getting quite close, agitated and shifting around restlessly with their calves. Some were starting to move from foot to foot/gently stamp their feet and bellow. We as calmly as possible moved through. I panicked, and I completely understand it is a permissive path, but obviously lots of walkers go through that area and cows especially with calves probably should be kept away. They watched us go but I still felt scared.”
“There were warning signs present, they said what to do if approached by cows (with and without calves) and not to let dogs poo in the parkland because it can spread disease to the cows. It said that the farmer had been using the land for generations and that was all good.”
RH adds a comment: “I would just like a fence put around pathways and to keep mother cows/cows in general away from walkers. However I do understand fields have to be rotated.”
Category: Miscellaneous
Rachel is cornered by aggressive cattle near Buxton
Incident number 1299
Date: 21.08.26
Site: Footpath across the ridge of Taxal Moor, in the Goyt Valley near Buxton, Derbyshire
Single walker, no dog
Rachel’s report: I was walking on a footpath across open access moorland with a wall to my immediate left. A few cows were coming down the path in the opposite direction. I considered turning around but as I was deliberating they started to skirt me to the right so I was able to continue down the path. However a few more cows then came over the brow of the hill and they had calves with them. I could no longer retreat because the other cows were behind and to the
right. I climbed the wall and sat on it while the cows passed. It’s a good job I did because the cows were very aggressive towards me even on top of the wall. They were stomping and snorting and shaking their heads at me. I was stuck on the wall for just over half an hour.
Rachel eventually escaped unhurt but was badly shaken.
Hungry bullocks charge at walkers
Incident number: 1304
Date: 27/08/26
Location: We were walking the Outer Aylesbury Ring and had left Gypsy Bottom on our way to Ashendon, Buckinghamshire
13 walkers, no dog
Libby’s report: Our walking group is completing the Outer Aylesbury Ring, one section at a time, the path we followed was obviously not walked a lot, one wooded section was tricky with a fallen tree and some barbed wire as a trip hazard, but we continued until we arrived at the field. The field in front of us was huge, all grass was scorched, and our footpath passed along two borders of it. It contained a very boisterous group of young cattle that came charging over to us, very close. We had a discussion at the stile, the alternative was to walk along a main rural busy road with tricky bends – so hard to see walkers until you’re right on them, a large group would be at risk. 4 people opted to walk back to the road. The rest of us opted to walk across the field keeping very close together. (Cattle have poor eyesight and so a cohesive group of people are seen as a big animal and cattle will stay away – that was the reasoning- but it felt scary.)
One group member walked to a nearby gate and lured the cattle away from the stile while the rest of us crossed into the field. We all bunched up together as the cows came charging over to us, they were very frisky and came very close. We tried clapping our hands and shouting – but that brought them closer. We think perhaps the farmer fed them near that stile and he probably summoned them by shouting and waving his hands. So we just kept quiet after that.
I carried a huge branch that had fallen on the ground and others had walking poles, we just tried to make ourselves as big as possible in their eyes. They charged off and then ran round back to confront us again and again, coming very close each time. They were snorting and jostling and lowering their heads towards us – which is aggressive behaviour. Eventually we came to a scabby line of trees, we walked on the far side of these and the cattle stopped following, even though we were still in the same field as them. We must have convinced them we had no food and weren’t worth chasing. We slowly (the ground was a little uneven) made our way to the exit stile and very gratefully left their field.
None of us were injured, but it was intimidating to walk across that field. A fence separating us from the cattle would have sorted both the worried cattle and walkers.
Because we were a large group, with no dog, and had agreed before we entered the field that everyone would stick together, I felt we were safe to walk the field. (Not completely safe but better than the road!) BUT I would not have felt safe if we were a smaller group, single walkers would have been at risk by those cows I think.
I wonder if this is how cattle are behaving across the parched fields of England and Wales at the moment? If so then large groups of walkers (RAMBLERS) be careful and stick together to be safe.
Cows with calves across major walking route
Incident number 1287
Date: 26.07.26
Site: Winnats Pass loop trail
2 walkers and dog (on lead)
Report: “The cows were stood next to the gate we needed to get through, as my friend and her dog carefully passed them to get through the gate a cow turned to her and began walking fast towards her, it’s head was bowed, I froze and stayed where I was – she managed to get through the gate unharmed. The cow was now stood directly in front of the gate staring at me, and I was stranded in the field. My friend on the other side of the wall moved further down and began calling the cows and they eventually headed toward her, clearing the path for my exit and I managed to escape unharmed.”
Comment: “Since this is a major walking route in the Peak District, full of fields and farms – the farmers should move the cows when they have young calves. It could have ended a lot worse.”
A broken arm after being headbutted by cow near to Exeter canal at Turf Lock
Incident number: 1285
Date of incident: 04.07.26
Location: Exminster footpath 3, between RSPB land and the Exeter Canal at Turf Lock.
Status: Group of walkers (between 3 and 5) with no dog on PRoW
Roger’s account of the incident
“We were walking back to the RSPB footpath, ant 8pm, after a meal at the Turf pub. The path crosses a field, but is not marked at that point. There was a small herd of cows in the field, which we had already passed once earlier, on our way to the pub. We tried to avoid the cows, but they came running over to us. We continued around the edge of the field, shouting and waving at the cows, to keep them away. But one of them walked up to a woman in our group, and head butted her to the ground. She got up, realised that her arm was broken, and ran with the other two of us to the gate, where we escaped. We returned back to our car and I drove to Exeter hospital, where the arm was x rayed and set in a cast. The following week, she had an operation to set the broken bones and insert a plate, to aid recovery.
We reported the incident to the landowners, the pub, the Council, the police, and the Health and Safety Executive.”
Cattle with calves not fit to be on a public right of way in Horninghold Leicestershire
Incident number: 1274
Response ID: 330,024,462
Date of incident: 05.07.26
Location: Horninghold, Leicestershire. GR 819 976 (Path No B101). Footpath running between Knob Hill Farm and Burn Hill.
Status: Two people with dog on the lead on PRoW
Chris’s story
“We passed through Knob Hill farm which is a danger in itself due to dogs running loose. However, the farmer did put the dogs away to let us pass. When we entered the large field above the farm we noticed a herd of cattle on the opposite side. I put the dog on the lead and we tried to skirt round below the ridgeline so that the cows wouldn’t see us. However, as we got to the middle of the field they came over the brow of the hill and began to charge towards us very aggressively. Probably about 50 cows, including calves. They were most interested in the dog so I let the dog loose for our own safety and told my daughter to try and make her way to the fenceline as I retreated with my back to the cows trying to keep them at bay. One of them charged past me and lunged for the dog. The others came right up and I had to wrap one on the nose to stop it charging over me. As we got to the fenceline it looked as though they had backed off but then came another charge. My daughter managed to throw the dog over the fence and clamber over, ripping her leggings and cutting her hand on the barbed wire. I had managed to pick up a stick to try and keep them at bay an just had enough time to make it over the fence. I’ve been walking in the countryside all of my life and this was the closest I have ever been to being trampled by a herd of cows. They were incredibly aggressive, no doubt protective of the calves, and not fit to be in a field with a public footpath running across it.”
Letting go of his dog probably saved Michael’s life
Report 1259, Response ID 329,768,059, Single walker and dog, group of cows with calves and a bull
6/6/26 Location: Between Blore & Thorpe, Ashbourne on the Staffordshire/Derbyshire border. On a bridle path between Coldwall Bridge and Coldwell Farm. The Limestone Way runs through the field as well as another public right of way. What three words are ‘chop.doubts.rotation’
Michael’s report: “Dog on the lead, tucked in behind me. I saw the cows with calves, and gave them a really wide berth but I saw a couple of cows running towards me from a distance away. I was knocked to the ground and then the other cows started gathering around. I sustained a serious leg injury which requires surgery. I let go of the dog and he bolted towards the gate and the cows chased him which probably saved my life.”
Michael added “Better signage would be a start. Also I’ve been informed by other farmers that it’s not appropriate to keep cows with calves near a very busy public footpath, there are 3 public footpaths running through the field in question. The following day a sponsored walk was taking place with 300 walkers set to walk through the field. I believe the farmer was made aware of the walk but chose not to move his cattle.”
Killer Cows comments: Michael has informed Police, HSE, Local Council Rights of Way Office, the Farmer, The Peak District National Park. We hope he makes a good recovery.
Are more field exits a solution to escape from aggressive cattle?
Report: 1243
Date: 14/5/26 Location: The incident happened on the Dales Way. In the field between the railway line on Lambrook Beck and the Beck houses. This field is in the Dales Way between Sedbergh and Burneside.
Rajiv’s post: We were walking on a public footpath on the Dales Way when our path was blocked by a herd of cows who were blocking the only exit to the field in which we were. One of the black cows walked towards us aggressively and there were two to three other cows right behind this cow who were also looking and walking towards us. We immediately walked away and tried to hide behind a tree. The aggressive cow followed us right up to the tree and chased us around the tree for a little bit. This led to a standoff where the cow was on one side of the tree and we were on the other. Eventually, when the cow was distracted, we walked briskly towards the exit and the cow followed us. We dodged the cow behind another tree, while avoiding the other cows from the herd, and eventually found a path for a brief moment which allowed us to navigate to the exit and escape. If the tree had not been there, there was no way for us to avoid the cow which was directly following us in an aggressive fashion.”
“A solution could be to have multiple exits on fields that are occupied by cows. This will allow walkers to navigate away from a single exit in the event it is blocked by cows. I also observed that a lot of accidents are while attempting to jump over barbed wire or over fences, and having multiple exits will allow walkers to escape safely.”
Cyclist on bridleway threatened by cattle
Report number: 1244 Date: 15/5/26
Location: Greywell Hill Estate. Nr Odiham Hampshire. ///reverses.motel.ambitions
1 person no dog
Graham’s report: “I was following the bridleway on a bicycle. The cows were 50 yards away from me, I was moving away from them when they came running towards me. Aggressively charging me, pawing the ground with their hooves. I used my bike as a shield, and made occasional sharp noises to attempt to deter them as I retreated towards the gate I entered through. They continued to aggressively come towards me as a group, and stayed surrounding the gate after I was able to escape through it.”
Graham comments: “These cattle should not be allowed in a field that public have access to. Simple as that.”
Family forced to swim to escape from dangerous cattle
Report number:1233
Date: 3/5/26
Location: Aller, near Langport, Somerset
Family group & dog
Libby’s report: “We were chased and pinned against the rivers edge by a whole group of cows who were kicking and jumping. They edged closer and closer until we were left with no option but to jump into the river and swim to the other side. My mum was a little further up trying to use a fence post to stop another group from pushing her into to river. After we jumped in they then charged over to her. I then had to jump back into the water to try and help her. Luckily the splash startled them enough to cause a distraction so my mum managed to get away. The whole incident was extremely frightening and traumatic for us all. Thank god we were able to swim is all I can say.”
Libby adds “At least have a sign up or to move the cows off of the public foot path.”
Pip encounters a dangerous herd on the Welsh Coastal Path
Response ID: 328,436,497
Report number: 1222
Location: Ceredigion Coast Path (part of the Wales Coast Path) between Gwbert & Mwnt
Date: 04/02/26
2 walkers, no dog, meet about 40 Welsh Black bullocks
Pips report: “On the return stretch of our walk we encountered extremely treacherous terrain and a herd of about 40 Welsh Black bullocks milling around all along the path. My partner & I are both country people & I’m a farmer’s daughter who grew up around cattle but this was by some distance the scariest encounter I’ve ever had with livestock. They approached us, some with curiosity, a few with real intent, & starting bucking & circling. We both had to shout & scream & run at them (difficult given the conditions underfoot) & my partner made me go as fast as I could to the next gate whilst he tried to fend them off. Thank God we both made it though but I fell & jarred my hip & neck that are now painful. We were very shaken & absolutely filthy, my body-warmer & jeans were ruined. It’s a really dangerous situation & I want to report in the strongest terms that something needs to be done as a matter of urgency as it could have ended really badly.”
Pip adds “The Wales Coast Path is a very important public right of way & as such should be kept safe for everyone to use.”
River crossing to avoid cows in the Cotswolds
Incident number: 1195
Response ID: 316,692,712
Date of incident: 08.09.25
Location: Between Bibury and Coln st Aldwyns
Status: Lone walker with no dog on PROW
Sarah’s story “I was walking through a field by myself. I saw a herd of cows (could not see calves) sat/stood by the gate I needed to go through. I did not get very close to them at all (and am already wary!) but decided to make a u-turn and not disturb them. As I turned, I heard one cow moo. They then all started and it sounded very loud and aggressive. They then started to run towards me, mooing all the time. I ran for some time in complete fear and panic. My only option was to get into river to get away from them.”
Sarah wants “Signs saying that there are cows in field and cows removed from public footpath”
Cattle Safety 