Near-miss Stories – Page 14

Several accounts from Pennard, nr Swansea – are visitors safe?

Read the tales of cattle incidents – bitten walkers, charged at golfers, stampeded schoolchildren, scared tourists

The National Trust look after the land around Pennard, Southgate and Three Cliffs Bay, on the Gower Peninsula, South Wales. There is common land across this region and cattle have rights to roam freely over this small tourist hotspot. There is a golf course at Pennard adjoining the common land and the cattle roam across this also.

This is spectacular landscape, Swansea tourist board name this as one of the most photographed areas in Gower. The tourist board suggest several walks that can be taken around here and the Welsh Coastal Path traverses the area. This region sees a high number of visitors.

But neither the National Trust nor the Swansea Tourist Board warn of the dangers posed by the cattle.

We have identified 9 reports of stampedes or threatening and aggressive behaviour by the cattle in this region; our first report is from 2021, but the other 8 are from 2023, all were placed by members of the public onto Killer Cows reporting site. These reports provide evidence that these cattle are behaving in a way that is dangerous to the public. Most of these incidents are not being followed up by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and without our site would not have been connected and the danger may have been missed. We need a central database that people can report all incidents too, so dangerous cattle can be identified before someone is killed or badly injured!

Killer cows believe that all of these attacks and incidents could have been extremely serious. Not one school child, walker or tourist or golfer did anything wrong – surely they should expect to be safe on such a famous, well-frequented, coastal footpath area?

C.S story: a family chased by cattle.

The whole herd moved towards us and began to charge.

On the 30th July, 2023, my family and I were walking near Denbigh on a signed public footpath which turned across a field, again clearly signposted. I was with my son, daughter, daughter-in-law, and four year old grandson.

Paula’s Story: chased by Belted Galloway cattle

Lucky to escape alive… charged by cows in a country park.

On the 3rd of April 2021, my friend and I were walking our dogs on leads in Hastings Country park. A group of belted Galloway cattle were all mingling around a gate. We saw them up ahead, way before they saw us, so we slowly turned around and started walking slowly back down the hill.

Narrowly missed being trampled

The cows were running fast and straight at us.

On the 26th August, 2022, I took my dogs out on our regular walk. I was walking on the old railway line just outside of Trevor (LL20) and going towards Llangollen, in Wales. The railway line links to a road which goes towards the canal.

SL Story: a mad scramble

One of us is still suffering from an injured back.

On the 31st July, 2022, we were walking along a public footpath, leaving Slaidburn on the approach to Panes Farm, in Lancashire. We were walking on the public path with our dog on a lead, and were about 200 metres away from the field gate. Half way across the field we could see a group of cows near the gate and lying down.

Without warning, the cattle got up and started to charge towards us. It was then we noticed there were calves in the herd. We scrambled over a gate to get out of the way – which included having to throw the dog over the gate as best we could. My husband slowed their approach by making himself large and shouting at them, but they were still in charge mode – with one being particularly aggressive.

It took us at least 30 minutes of scrambling over drystone walls and gates to reach an alternative footpath. We escaped with only minor injuries, but one of us is still suffering from an injured back caused by scrambling over walls and gates.

In our experience, when entering a field because of the lay of the land it is often too late to realise cows are in the field.

In this case, there were no warning signs. We were lucky there was no barbed wire to scale over which would have made an escape very treacherous.

Farmers should not be allowed to have cows in fields that have a public right of way running through, especially with calves.

Response ID 266187259

Photo from site stock

Ed’s story: chased to the gate

I turned round and ran.

On the 30th April, 2021, I was walking along a public footpath near Legsby, in Lincolnshire. I was on my own, with no dog.

Walking through a field that seemed empty, and on a designated footpath that seemed empty, I walked through an open farm gate into another field. Halfway into the field, I spotted a mother and calf on the footpath.

I tried to skirt round them – but a herd of about twenty cows on the other side of the field started running towards me. I turned round and ran back the way I had come, and just managed to shut a farm gate before they reached me

Luckily I wasn’t injured, but I was pretty shook up. There were no signs warning about cows in the field, or that there where mothers with calves present in the field. I think there should have been clear warning signs, and that footpaths should be fenced off from livestock.

Respondent ID 266187629

Photo: stock

Dillwyn’s story

The saw us – and charged across the field.

In Febuary, this year, I was walking near St Nicolas in the Vale of Glamorgan, in Wales. I was on a footpath with my dog on a lead.

Julia’s Story: scared for her life

I could hear the cow panting, see it snorting at me, see the ground move…

Julia’s Story

I am a 29-year-old woman not from the UK (and not very familiar with cows) who was on holiday in Northumberland. On the 8th June, 2022, I was walking with my partner and my dog on the path between Craster and Dunstanburgh Castle at about 3:30pm.

Richard’s Story: helping a fellow walker escape

Had he tripped, it could have been fatal.

On the 8th June, I was walking on a footpath through Wild Bank Moors, just past the trig point, near Stalybridge. I was on my own and had my dog on a lead.

Sarah’s Story: my dogs were chased by a herd of cows.

I was terrified, and couldn’t find my dog anywhere.

On the 1st June, 2022, I was walking on a public footpath on Hob Moor, near Acomb, with my two small dogs on a lead. A herd of cows came towards me, and I let my dogs off the lead.

Andy’s story: leapt over a fence to escape

Unprovoked attack by cows on The Weaver’s Way

On the 30th May, 2020, I was walking from Acle to Berney Arms along the Weavers Way path. The incident happened after passing through Halvergate and crossing the Fleet river into open countryside.

Carol, Paul and Poppy: lucky to be alive

I was screaming for help whilst holding on to the tree.

A few days ago, on the 24th October, we were attacked by cattle.

Paul and I went for a walk in Little Ribston Hall fields, keeping to the public footpaths and with our dog, Poppy, on her lead as advised on the gate. We walked past the sheep and over the bridge where we passed cows on either side of the concrete road (a public footpath) and had a wonderful walk.

On the way back, some of the cows were crossing the footpath, but there were around 50 cows still standing on either side of the path, so we could not walk around them. We were new to the estate and we had no idea of any other routes. We decided to keep Poppy on her lead as advised on notices and we kept to the path.

By the time we got closer, the cows had moved off the path… but they soon surrounded us, and began mooing and circling around us.

They managed to spilt me and Paul up. The cows were trying to trample Poppy, and Paul was going round in circles trying to keep her safe. One of the cows head butted Paul in the shoulder. I was screaming for help whilst holding on to the tree and screaming at Paul to pick up Poppy. No one could hear us as the cows were so loud.

Luckily Paul managed to get Poppy to the cattle grid and was going to tie Poppy up and come back for me. I shouted at him to stay with Poppy and I slowly let go of the tree. I did not look at the cows and walked slowly away, knowing cows were each side of me.

As soon as I could not see any cattle out of the corner of my eyes, I ran… and collapsed into Pauls arms.

When we looked back, we saw the cows had two calves with them in the field. I know that all they were doing was looking after their babies, and they were very angry at us for being in the field.

Paul had a bruised shoulder and later took cocodamol for pain. Luckily, Poppy was unharmed. Paul saved her life as the cows tried to trample her. She was terrified.

Later, I phoned Harrogate Borough Council, but they said it is nothing to do with them. It was up to us to call the land owner and report it. I did that, but the land owner just said he can graze cattle wherever he wants and ‘sorry it happened’. He also told us we should have let Poppy off her lead to run away. He said we should have found an alternative route on an ordinance survey map, but it was our first time walking in the area, and we did not know of any other route.

Even though it was a public footpath, the owner can apparently graze his cattle where he wants, but it would have been good if there were warning signs about the calves. We have learnt a very big lesson.

I just wanted to put this post on to warn others about this situation as we were both terrified. We are lucky to still be alive.

Respondent ID 256526757

Photo credit: Chris Heaton, image on Wikimedia, Creative Commons Attribution Share-alike license 2.0