Near-miss Stories – Cattle Safety

Miley and his wife have to wade across a stream to escape cattle.

Incident number 1305
Date: 30.08.26
Site: Public footpath alongside of Egglestone Abbey near Barnard Castle. County Durham.
Bull with cows and calves (Comment: very large brown cattle with small horns.)
2 walkers with dog on a lead.

Miley’s Report: “We were walking from woods towards grasslands alongside Egglestone Abbey. This was the only route back to the gate onto the road where we started. We had already passed in one direction with no sign of cattle. On route back across the grassland there was a large group of brown cattle grazing near the stream; they were blocking access to the footbridge our path went over. Myself, wife and our dog on a lead walked around the outside of the cattle. The cattle moved to surround us on either side, making loud noises and moving towards us. I picked our dog up and started walking quickly to make an escape, the cattle followed and, as our access to the footbridge was still blocked by cows and calves, we had to cross the stream to escape. My wife was petrified. This was a very scary experience. On exiting the gate onto Abbey Lane we noticed a very small sign on the gate saying ‘Livestock present’. I would urge larger signs be installed to warn walkers whilst young calves, cows and bulls are present. We would not have entered this public footpath if we knew they were there. A very dangerous ordeal that could have ended in serious injury, I consider ourselves very lucky.”

Cattle Safety comment:

So glad you’re OK! Yes we also believe you are fortunate to not have been injured in that situation. We hope you inform HSE about this Report an Incident – Cattle Safety contact us on cows.safety.group@gmail.com. We noticed a report of cows blocking the way on the OS map, unsure if that was you or another poor walker.

Cows chase walkers AGAIN on Sussex Ouse Valley way

Incident number 1303
Date: 31.5.26
Site: Between Lewes and Hamsey on the river footpath BN7
I dog, on a lead, 2 walkers

Description: “Chased by cows on footpath, not for the first time here but very scary. Our dog froze in panic making getting away from cows near impossible.
We reported it to the council who have replied saying they’ll be there for months, really uninterested in them chasing us – don’t know who else to tell but it’s very scary and it’s our daily walk so feel very cross!”
Comment: “I would LOVE the cows to be behind a fence and not on the footpath!! How do we do that?”

Cattle Safety comment: This report highlights the problems with reporting issues on walking paths to councils. The person receiving the report is not trained to recognise a Health and Safety “near miss” and so ignores this report. Unfortunately these cows will continue to pester and chase people if nothing is done and then a serious accident could occur. Yes – walkers are instructed to report incidents to the footpath officer on a council – but, in our experience, doing that rarely achieves anything. Informing the Health and Safety Executive may achieve something as these people are trained in H&S.

Cows with calves roaming freely around Hare Hill

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.”

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.

Near miss in the Itchen Valley

Incident number 1300
Date: 23.08.26
Site: Brown trail – Itchen Valley, Nr Southampton ///owner.press.duck
Single walker, no dog

Walkers report: The cows were grazing. I walked through the field and they all looked up at me. One started to walk over, about 10/15 meters away then started to sprint at me. Other cows started to try and corner me off. Had to run out of field and was chased, no calves were present. Cows then decided to go around to another gate to try and chase me again. I got out of the field safely.

Family escape from aggressive cattle over barbed wire fence

Report: 1296

Date: 18/07/26

Location: 52.2403290, -1.3127479 Just looked up on map and copied from Google maps. It was on a footpath going towards Napton on the Hill, Warwickshire.

Kirsty’s Report: “We were walking across a field with cows in the far distant corner, a long way from where we were and we noticed they looked agitated. Then they suddenly all started running full speed towards us. We’ve never seen cows behave like that before. We were in danger and had our 12 year old daughter with us so had to run to nearest fence which was unfortunately barbed wire. We had no choice but to climb over the barbed wire fence to escape to safety. After we escaped we saw the cows closer and they were scraping at the ground looking very aggressive and agitated. We didn’t have a dog with us and never got anywhere near them, didn’t see any calves either so don’t understand why they reacted like that. It was terrifying. Had the cows been closer when stampede started we would not have made it out uninjured especially with the barbed wire fence.”

Kirsty added “I didn’t know how to report these incidents until I read BBC Countryfile article with this website. We need more awareness of the dangers and how to report incidents. Our family haven’t been for a walk since and it was almost a month ago. It really frightened us. We had a stressful situation finding a way out and couldn’t find a way around the cows so had a very long walk back the way we came in hot weather having run out of water too. I don’t think barbed wire fences are appropriate in fields with cows and footpaths, that made our escape to safety so much more hazardous and difficult to escape without injury.”

Cattle Safety comments:

Here is a link to our webpage giving details of who to contact after an attack Report an Incident – Cattle Safety

Link to the Countryfile article mentioned above Fear not! Here’s how to stay safe while walking near cows | Countryfile.com – please note we have many issues with this article!

Devon or Staffs; dog or no dog; near misses with cows happen – they need fencing off

Report: 1291

Date: 3/8/26

Location: Cullompton, highbanks, Devon. W3W ///relocated.waters.request

2 walkers, no dog

Single cow, ? Charolais

Report: “We were walking along the opposite side of the field next to the bushes, the cows were down by the river. They had moved around a bit, but they weren’t near us and we weren’t near them, a couple were still coming out of the river, a couple were grazing they were all near each other. There were no signs of aggression from any of them that we saw. We didn’t see the cow running at us before it was right next to us it had b-lined straight for us from across the field, we’re not sure what set it off. In fight or flight we jumped into a thorn bush as we had no time to move and it stood and stared directly at us for 5 minutes before walking back to join the herd and continue to graze. A couple of the cows in that group had little scuffles after that but it took 20 minutes till we felt comfortable enough to leave the bush and they were far away enough again. It’s a very public area with plenty of footfall generally, but there were only a few people out as it was between 9-10pm and no one was in the area at the time it happened.”

“I’m unsure on how to feel as it is a very public area. I haven’t had any issues before, they’ve been curious but I’ve never had an experience like that. I know a lot of kids and dog walkers walk through highbanks. I also know you’re meant to act bigger to scare them off but we had no time to think before it was next to us and fight or flight kicked in.”

Report 1294

Date 6/8/26

Location: Public Footpath between Bilstone and Congerstone in Staffordshire

2 walkers 1 dog on a lead

Group of cattle (?Holstein) black and white

Elizabeth’s Report: “We were walking with a Jack Russell on a lead and after entering the field the cows started walking then running towards us we tried to backtrack to leave the field but couldn’t make it in time. We jumped over a small barbed wire fence and were trapped between the cows and a canal. My husband came to rescue my son and I by yelling and swinging a cane. The cows only cleared off for long enough for us to run towards the gate to escape but they were close on our heels.”

Boisterous cattle on the Cotswold Way stop walkers following the path.

Incident number: 1290
Date: 2/8/26
Site: On the Cotswold Way public footpath at Sands Farm (between Dyrham and Pennsylvania/ (Cold Ashton) just before where the Cotswold Way crosses Gorse Lane. The very approximate coordinates are 51.468770,-2.378849.
Type of cow: Boisterous group of young cattle.
2 walkers, no dog.

Report: “At approximately 12:00 noon, Sunday 2nd August 2026, my mother and I were forced off the Cotswold way footpath due to being charged by a herd of young, boisterous cattle. We were following the Cotswold way sign posts, which took us into and signposted us across the field, we were definitely following the correct route. The field was shortly before the Gorse Lane crossing.

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.”

This walker says they will never cross a field of cows again after incident on Welsh coastal path

Incident number: 1286

Date of incident: 14.07.26

Location: Welsh Coast Path in the Vale of Glamorgan heading west from Cwm Nash towards Dunraven.

Status: Lone walker with no dog on PRoW

Charles’s story

“I was walking across the fields along the clifftop on the Wales Coast Path. In the second field there was a large herd of cows grazing right by the path. Being apprehensive about passing too close to them I started walking around the perimeter of the field to try to avoid them. This of course meant temporarily leaving the path. About half way across they were still grazing peacefully so I cut back diagonally across the field in order to reach the path exit gate on the other side. I kept glancing at the cows to see if they were still OK and when about three quarters of the way across I noticed about half a dozen of the nearest ones staring at me – perhaps they had not noticed me before. I was walking at a brisk pace across the field but not running. The next time I glanced at the cows around 5 or 6 were running towards me. I therefore started running, but I was confident of reaching the gate before they reached me. I had walked that way before, I knew the gate opened, and I knew there was no way they could cross through the gate or over the wall adjoining it. So I was not too worried. But when I got to the gate I saw that the whole herd of estimate 40 to 50 cows – some quite large – was charging full tilt towards me. Furthermore if I had not been near the gate they would have overtaken me as they were running far faster than I could. So it was with huge relief I passed through the gate. What triggered this I don’t know. I did nothing to provoke them. Perhaps it was because I was walking across the middle of the field which they regarded as their territory. But the key point is that if they had noticed me earlier and had started running before I was in reach of the gate, I believe they would have charged me, knocked me over and possibly trampled me to death. I believe the farmer responsible should not put such unpredictable cows in a field through which runs the Welsh Coast Path – perhaps he resents this and it is his way of deterring walkers.

I believe they are a danger – I will never cross that field again if they are there even at the expense of a lengthy detour inland. What if children had been involved. I believe this incident should be reported.”

1066 Country walk – Hastings Link – advertised walk – Cattle charging for no reason

Incident number: 1282

Response ID: 330,099,718

Date of incident: 04.03.26

Location: TQ 85130 12615. 50.88336, 0.63050 OS reference 1066 Country Walk, Hastings Link

Status: Lone walker with no dog on PRoW

Susanne’s story

“I entered the field and saw the herd by the stile at the opposite side. I was unsure whether to carry on but had no choice in order to avoid a huge detour. I decided to walk round the edge so the cows wouldn’t feel I was walking towards them but as I had got about a third of the way they suddenly started running towards me. I tried to follow all the advice about making yourself look tall and retreating calmly but as they were picking up speed there was no way I would have made it back. I managed to run towards a side gate and climb over with one cow pushing at my leg as I was doing so. I then had to hack my way through brambles and nettles to get to a lane but anything rather than going back to that field. This is a long-distance footpath and I also often see cows on other sections as well as the South Downs Way, Wealdway and the Vanguard Way. At least long-distance paths really need cows behind a fence in my view as you often have no option but to continue”

Chased by cattle on National Trust marked route at the Sheffield Park Estate

Incident number: 1276

Response ID: 330,048,467

Date of incident: 08.07.26

Location: Sheffield Parkland, Uckfield. TN22 3QX. On the Tolls circular walk route. Established, signposted route for visitors. National Trust property.

Status: Two people without a dog on National trust ROW

Amber’s story

“We were walking the Tolls route at Sheffield Park Estate – an approximately 45 mins circular route marked with sign posts. The park invites you to walk their parkland and issues maps with the trails on them and signposts several routes with coloured arrows. A staff member verbally stated to us also, on the day, that we could walk on the parkland (outside of the gardens which are a fenced in area around a large house). About 15-20 mins into walking, we were in a huge open area of grass with a few areas of scattered trees, quite far apart from each other, and a larger wooded area beyond a fence in the distance to our right. We were aiming towards a signpost in the distance. A large group of black cattle were far in the distance beyond the signpost. They began to turn and look at us and then to walk in our direction. We diverted 90 degrees directly towards the wooded area with a fence (and we could see a gate). They tracked us and turned towards us. They began to run. I don’t know how many there were, maybe around 20 or more. I felt we had no option but to run at that point, to try to reach the edge and the gate before they reached us. It was terrifying. I felt we were literally running for our lives at that point. We reached the gate and I remember the panic I felt as I was trying to wrestle it open. We went through it. As I turned and shut the gate I saw them all right there behind us, they had reached where we were. We walked away into the wooded area immediately. We then had the problem that the circular route required us to go back through that gate. We had to find an alternative route through adjacent fields. That was also stressful because then we were guessing the direction and limited by barbed wire. Luckily we found large gates to pass through or climb, between fields and made our way back to the car.”