Incident number: 997
Response ID: 307,395,004
Date of incident: 01.09.24
Location: Saxon Shore Way between Richborough and Plucks Gutter
Status: Loan walker with no dog on PRW
Kaite’s story
“Walking on the Saxon Shore Way between Sandwich and Plucks Gutter recently, there were a number of very large open fields with cattle roaming freely including cows with calves, and no realistic way to avoid them – no alternative paths, no fencing etc. Most of the time when I came across them I had no idea prior to entering the field (often some way back) that there were cattle and I didn’t really have any choice but to hope for the best and go on. The first couple of times turned out to be fine (including a field with cows with calves, which I normally avoid). However in the third field with cattle a cow was standing right in my way, and eventually began to approach me. I backed away and slid down the river bank, and she followed, standing at the top of the bank – a group had now joined her. I waited to see if they would move but they stayed there. Fortunately I had a dry bag with me (I am a keen swimmer and had hoped to swim in the river at some point) so I managed to pack my things into the dry bag, get into the river and swim across, then picking up the path on the opposite bank where fortunately there were no cattle. I don’t know whether they would have hurt me but I wasn’t going to find out – having been chased on three previous occasions I am nervous around cows and try to avoid them wherever I can. Since the incident I have read online that other walkers have had run-ins with cows in the same part of the SSW. It’s a very isolated walk (I’m not sure I saw a single other walker all day) so there was no option to wait for another walker to brave the cattle together, and if I had been hurt it would have been hard to get help.”
Katie also added a link to the walk on Alltrails and previous warnings of cows
Saxon Shore Way: Sandwich to Hillborough, Kent, England – 7 Reviews, Map | AllTrails
Cattle Safety 