Location: The walk was one mapped out by the local pub ‘The Smoker Inn’. According to the photo I took, the location was Wood Tenement Farm, Pinfold Lane, Plumley WA16 9RR.
Status: Two people without a dog on a PROW
Our reporter said
“When we entered the field the cows were quite a distance away in a far corner, we walked quietly across the field to the next gate (following instructions). The cows started to walk towards us, at first a 2 or 3 then more and more of them, so we quickened our pace. In the end we had to run as they were running after us, we just about managed to climb the fence. It’s possible they were curious but there were lots of them and if one of us had fallen there was a possibility we’d be trampled. These are big animals, lots of them, running at speed. My friend and I are in our 50s, so not really up for a chase and a pole vault over a gate. At the time it wasn’t funny, it was pretty scary and I’d think twice about crossing a field with cows in again.”
Location: Walking on Heart of England route just up from Blockley village and in field that runs parallel with the road from Blockley to Batsford Estate.
Account: I entered the field with my Jack Russell in a lead. I walked a few feet away from the stone wall on the very edge of the field. The cows were a good distance away. One cow looked up and stared at me. She went over to her calf and then just ran at my dog. She head butted my dog and scooped her in the air. As my dog was in the air I grabbed her and the cow was bellowing like a mad animal. She turned away and I thought I was safe. But she then ran at me and head butted me in my chest. I stumbled but didn’t fall. I was so near the wall so I jumped over the stone wall and barbed wire and lay in a ditch. The cow stayed bellowing at me and my dog, snorting and glaring at me, in this ditch. I had just about a foot width between the wall and barbed wire and a wire fence on the other side of the ditch.
I managed to get my phone and I rang 999. I honestly thought I was going to die. This cow was just reaching over the wall trying to reach me. The call operator from the fire brigade was great. They asked if I had what 3 words, I didn’t. I lay in this ditch for over 5 minutes, wedged between wire and the stone wall. When I couldn’t see the cow I popped my head up over the wall to see if it had gone.
The cow had walked off, but as soon as it saw my head, she came running over again, bellowing and shaking her head. At one point she followed the wall in front of me, I think she was looking for an opening to get to me. After some time I heard a human voice. I shouted, “help help, I’m behind the wall, are there any cows in the field?” A lady shouted back- ‘no’. So I put my head up again and the cows had moved into the next field. They have free access across 4 fields all on the public footpath. This lady, and her husband helped me and my dog over the wall. I could hardly breathe I was so frightened.
I know the walk as I walk it at least once a week. So I walked as quickly as possible to the gate and onto the road. There I just broke down and sobbed and saw how cut I was from jumping over the wall and barbed wire. The fire brigade found me as I went to the farmer whose cattle they are.
I thought I was safe, as I have lived in the country all my life. But most significantly I thought I was safe as the cows and their calves were out and free to walk all over the Monarch’s Way that is a very very popular walking route.
I thought there was no way they would be allowed to be free if they posed a risk. How wrong I was..”
Harry has reported this to the farmer, the police and the Health and Safety Executive.
Location: Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales. Using the Vale Trail route 9
Status: More than 10 people with no dog
Our reporter stated “The cows started staring at us and snorting and then advanced towards us and surrounding us. They came very close, then another cow started running towards us, but headed off the cows that were surrounding us. It was terrifying. We thought we’d be safe because it was a public walkway printed on the Vale Trail Website on the Councils main website. I reported it to the Vale of Glamorgan Council and asked that they could reroute the walk as I explained the cows were aggressive, it took some time for the council to acknowledge and they explained that the farmer was not getting back to them, they did say that they would warn the public by stating that t the walk includes cattle on the route, I contacted them again to say it was not enough and they said that they had contacted the farmer again and written a letter, but the farmer had not replied. There would have been room to segregate the cows from the public to keep the public safe. Check out www.valeofglamorgan.co.uk and select valetrails route 9
Please! Please! Please! Segregate the cows from the public. Walking the Vale Trails should be safe and a place for walkers to enjoy. The farmer should have placed notices of vulnerable times of the year when cows might have been particularly aggressive/protective, but no warning was provided.”
Location: On Dartmoor above Belstone. On a path used by other walkers going downhill into valley to cross a stream.
Status: A group of 3-5 people with Dog on Lead on PROW
Peter’s story which was reported to Dartmoor Councillors
“We were walking on Dartmoor having entered the moor from Belstone. We passed various cattle without incident. We decided to use a path going down to a valley bottom in order to get back to Belstone. On a very narrow part of the path we were suddenly aware of cattle behind us led by adult cow. We stood aside on bank to let them through, me on the other side of the path from the others. We had no means of escape. The lead cow bellowed and started attacking me with feet and head. I fell in to scrub and then fell over an edge in to an area lower down which probably saved me from serious injury from the cow. My friends screamed at the cows and my partner hit the attacker cow repeatedly with her coat. The cows then turned and went off. I had grazing to my legs under my jeans and bruising I think to my ribs in my back. I managed to walk back to the car at Belstone.”
He adds “Warning signs should be erected, although we couldn’t have predicted the attack and we weren’t being followed by cattle when we took the path going downhill. As it was on Dartmoor I assume the cattle can’t be confined.”
Jessica was walking as a couple near Taunton on 1st May 2022
“We walked into the field and the group started walking towards us then running towards. We escaped just in time by going over a stile”
Matt was running on his own near West Haddon in Northamptonshire om 18th August 2022
“I was running on a footpath. A couple of calves were startled and the herd turned on me. Tens of cows converged and stampeded me. I ran to the edge of the field and stood behind a barbed wire cordon. I had to climb into the next field to escape. I narrowly escaped being seriously injured or killed. The cows in this field are still very wary and aggressive. Other users of the footpaths have raised the issue on the village social media but have been shot down. I don’t have issues with any others herds in the area and have walked and ran through livestock for decades without similar incident.”
Location: Back Road between Sticklepath & Belstone (near Skaigh Cottage) (What three words ///trifle.partners.ambushed)
Status: Lone walker no dog on PRW
Rebeccah’s story
“I was out for a run as usual, and was heading up the road to avoid cows (as recently seen lots on the moor) however, as I turned the corner (on a single track road with houses) there was a group of cows and young cows charging down the road. I had to jump up the bank and hide. I then climbed over the barbed wire fence and crouched. The cows stopped on the road and came towards me. They stood for ages. I was terrified. I stayed still. They then turned around and had their backs to me. They moved up the road a couple of metres but just stopped. I had no clue what to do. I had already been sat there for ten minutes and had no phone signal to call for help. So I eventually braved it, jumped down on to the road and ran as fast as I could back down the hill hoping they wouldn’t chase me. I crossed the cattle grid and stopped. I injured my leg on branches but nothing major.”
“Cows ran over and crowded me from the second I got in the field, not deterred by big stick I was holding. Lots of loud and angry sounding bellowing. They surrounded me and were not backing off as I moved so it was impossible to go forward. I edged back and went around through other fields.”
K wants “Extra fencing along side of field to enable safe access, or housing cows in separate field”
Location: Mow Cop, Cheshire on a walk from a walk book
Status: Couple with no dog on PRW
Joyce and David’s story: They are a couple from Canada who like to come to England to walk once or twice a year. They had an incident with cattle 10 years ago and since then have become much more cautious.
“We entered a field with a small herd of bullocks (about 10-12) spread out about 40-50 metres away from us. The walk went across the field, but we decided to walk along the fence line to keep away from the bullocks. This was moor land and quite wet & muddy. The bullocks started coming towards us to have a closer look. Initially they stayed on the drier top of the field following our slow progress as we wallowed in the mud at the edge! As we neared the end where we had to cross the field to get to the stile, the bullocks kept coming closer behind us. At one stage they nudged one of us in the rear. We kept calm and kept talking to them. Eventually we got over the style with no further incident. The bullocks appeared to be more curious than aggressive. We could not move fast in the mud & they could have easily harmed us without meaning to.”
They add “We realize that it would be expensive for farmers to fence off the footpaths from cattle. Alternatively, we suggest that farmers create temporary footpaths that take walkers around their fields with cattle with appropriate signage in order to provide safe transit for walkers.”
Location: South West coast path, Coverack Cornwall. TR12
Status: Two walkers with dog on lead on PRW
Davyd’s story
“Following South West coast path from Coverack to Lizard point Cornwall. Walking along public footpath with dog on lead. Started hearing what sounded like a thundering hoofs. I turned and saw about 20 cattle charging directly at us. We ran as fast as possible to the next swing gate over rocky and muddy ground just making it through in time. The whole heard were headbutting the wood gate still trying to get us. My wife was absolutely terrified as we only just made it out before we got trampled by them. I cannot believe that dangerous farm animals are allowed to be grazing on public footpath especially south West coast path. If we were older and could not move as quickly we could of been trampled to death.”
Footpath from Rudyard to Horton (Leek Staffordshire (What 3 words : ///refilled.publisher.tech.)
Status: Lone walker with dog on lead on PRW.
Cieran’s story
“The footpath runs up the right hand side of the field. Most of the cows were away to the left of the field but there was one bullock in front of me in the first third of the field. As I got past the bullock it started to follow and pretty quickly the whole herd of 30-40 bullocks was crowding in towards me. I was backing up holding my arms out and shouting to stop them but every time I turned around to walk away more quickly they would start to run towards me until I turned around again and shouted. This became more intense and they got closer the further up the field I went. I kept the dog on a short lead through the whole event. She was frightened but did not bark and was not aggressive towards the cows. Several times I had to turn, stand and shout to stop them from trampling me. I could not climb over the wall in to the next field as the farmer has installed barbed wire along the top of the dry stone wall. When we were in sight of the exit style I ran and threw the dog over before jumping through myself. The herd raced up to wall behind me and it would be impossible to get back down the same footpath.
This is a regular issue at this spot of the footpath and I now consider it too dangerous to use as this is not the first time I have had this issue.”
Location: Dartmoor Nearest village: Gidleigh (What three words careful.showrooms.studio)
Status: Two people with dog on lead on PRW
Anonymous report “We were on a footpath on a remote part of Dartmoor a couple of miles away from Scorhill stone circle, just to the north west of Rival Tor. We had previously passed 2 groups of black cows without incident. We saw the cow ahead, not far from the path. It started running aggressively towards us. My husband stood firm and bellowed at it, also waving his walking stick. I walked on with our dog still on a short lead while there was a stand-off between my husband and the cow. The cow started to shake its head which we knew was a sign of danger. Worried it was about to charge him, my husband started to walk away at which point it started running around towards me. I had let the dog off at this point as thought this was best. Luckily the cow stopped and there was another standoff. Fortunately it then lost interest as we walked away. It was particularly frightening as there was nowhere for us to escape to – no hedge, no stream, no gully, just open featureless moorland.”
Further thoughts “There was a sign by the car park from the Gidleigh Commoners Association. FOR YOUR SAFETY PLEASE KEEP YOUR DISTANCE FROM ALL CATTLE ESPECIALLY WITH CALVES – went on to give more info about precautions and danger signs, the final advice was, amid danger signs eg cows shaking heads and pawing ground “to retire as calmly and quickly as possible” and then “if a cow actually offers (sic) to attack you let any dog off the lead and the cow may focus interest on the dog while you retreat calmly” The problem is – where do you retreat to in open moorland where there are no fences/boundaries???”
Location: Fields below the Saltergate car park on the A169 at the Hole of Horcum
Status: Two people with dog on the lead on PRW
Dave S’s story
“We were walking on a public footpath but in an unfamiliar area. The cows were congregated around the gate from the field so it was difficult to go around them. A few started bellowing and moving towards us and we backed away. One barged into me and flicked it’s head sending me backwards. I just managed to stay on my feet and we climbed over a barbed wire fence to escape”
Dave was diagnosed with a cracked rib after a hospital visit.
He adds “The path could easily have been fenced off or even divided through a different field”
Cattle Safety 