Two of England’s oldest breeds – the Wild Cattle and Old English Goat

Chillingham Castle is home to one of the world’s last remaining herds of wild cattle, whose gene pool is so isolated that every animal is essentially a genetic clone

Chillingham wild cow standing in field

“The good news is, if they charge us, you don’t have to outrun them. You just have to outrun the person next to you,” said Denene Crossley, one of the two sisters who serve as wardens of these strange and rare beasts.

Ill-tempered, unpredictable and capable of a not-exactly-leisurely top speed of 30mph, Chillingham wild cattle are not to be trifled with. Crossley and I were observing the animals from a safe distance, amid the sloping meadows and ancient oak and alder forests of Chillingham Cattle Park in Northumberland, where they have roamed free from human interference for the better part of 1,000 years.

White as snow, with sinewy frames, a fierce temperament and vast horns that curve menacingly into jet-black tips, these are no ordinary oxen. Among the last remaining wild cattle in the world, they retain a primeval character. They are also some of the rarest animals on the planet; currently numbering around 130, they are far fewer in number than giant pandas, Siberian tigers or mountain gorillas.

“Although there are about 1.2 billion cattle in the world, only very few – on a few oceanic islands, and at Chillingham – live free of human interference or management,” explained Stephen Hall, professor of animal science at the University of Lincoln and a trustee of the Chillingham Wild Cattle Association. “They are the only British breed of cattle to have escaped ‘improvement’ by selective breeding during the so-called Agricultural Revolution of approximately 200 to 300 years ago.”

This is evident in their small stature – the bulls weigh in at around 400kg, less than one-third that of modern continental breeds – and in the cows’ small udders, which only have to produce milk for one calf at a time. “In general body size and shape they are, effectively, medieval cattle,” said Hall.

Due to centuries of inbreeding, Chillingham wild cattle are genetic clones that all look identical (Credit: Stephen Hall)

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The world’s only herd of wild cattle have lived at Chillingham for over 800 years. There are only around 100 of them left, making them rarer than the Giant Panda. I highly recommend a visit to see them, they are truly amazing animals in a stunning location.

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Old English Goat

Source: Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST) https://www.rbst.org.uk/old-english-goat

Old English Goats are naturally adapted to the British Climate. Their constitution and hardiness are two of their greatest characteristics. They will eat a wide range of food and are not deterred from foraging by poor weather. They are specialists in converting rough scrub into milk & meat for the household, requiring little or no additional feed.

History 

The Old English goat was the native breed of the UK before the major imports of foreign goats to the UK after 1880. Previous to these imports, regional differences would have been present, but the vast majority of goats were of the Old English breed. The notable exceptions would have been in some major port towns, where sailors may have been offloading the occasional exotic breed of goat.

In the 18th and 19th Centuries (and before!) it would have been common across the land for every smallholder and small farm to have a couple of goats to supply economic meat & dairy. It was also a common practice to send your Nanny goats “up the hill” – i.e. to leave the farm into the wilds – in order to be mated by one of the feral/wild males in the area. This was both logistically practical, and ensured any offspring retained the hardiness they needed to thrive.

Native populations of feral/wild British Primitive goats still exist in the UK today in locations as diverse as the Cheviot Hills in Northumberland, The Valley of the Rocks in Lynton North Devon, and the Isle of White. Whilst populations and management strategies vary, the Old English Goat Society does make occasional use of these populations to ensure the characteristic hardiness of the breed is not lost. This practice is intended to more precisely mimic the original practice of sending nannies “up the hill”.

 Key Characteristics 

  • The Old English goat is cobby in nature, and shorter than more modern breeds, standing at around 26” at the withers
  • The outer coat may be any length from short to shaggy, but it is never smooth or sleek. There may be a fringe of long hair along the back and/or down the hindquarters.
  • The copious fine cashmere undercoat is particularly noticeable in winter, but it should be detectable even in summer.
  • Colour is variable, usually shades of grey or brown and often with black markings
  • They are known for producing moderate amounts of milk – perfectly suited to self-sufficiency

Article: ‘Desperately rare’ Old English Goat breed now ‘critical’

The Old English Goat has been labelled ‘critical’ by campaigners who are working to save this ‘desperately rare’ historic native breed from disappearing.

With an estimated population of just 74 living adult females left, the breed will be placed into the Rare Breeds Survival Trust’s (RBST) ‘critical’ category.

The only other native breed of goat in the UK labelled critical is the separate English Goat breed.

The Old English Goat is often called the ‘original smallholder’s goat’ because it was popular with smallholders in the 19th century.

Small and shaggy, these hardy goats provided ample and regular milk for the household for little cost.

Published each spring, the RBST Watchlist is the conservation charity’s annual report on the UK’s rarest native breeds of livestock, showing which ones are the most endangered and whether their numbers are increasing or falling.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ba8gDV1VREw

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Association

Rare Breeds Survival Trust
https://www.rbst.org.uk/

Old English Goat Society
http://oldenglishgoats.org.uk/

Dean City Farm
The Old English goat is one of several primitive breeds of goat in Britain, dating back to at least the Iron Age. Over time, invading forces like the Romans and Vikings would have bought their own livestock in, which would push the native primitive breeds down even more – whether through cross breeding or simply just being more useful!

Populations of feral goats have no legal protection, so over time they would come into conflict with wildlife conservationists and land owners, often resulting in being culled. A population established itself in the Cheviot Hills of Northumberland, hence the name Cheviot Landrace Goats. With the threat of further culls looming, Thorndon Country Park in Essex took on a herd from Northumberland and they’ve established a conservation grazing group in the park land. This is the group that our goats have come from!

It’s only relatively recently that the Old English Goats have proven out to be a breed. By looking at the DNA of the Cheviot Landrace goats it’s possible to identify that they’re significantly different from other primitive goats to be recognised as their own breed.
https://www.deancityfarm.co.uk

May be an image of animal and outdoors
Willowcroft Odin and Ve from the Ferry House Herd / Photo courtesy of the Old English Goat Society

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And if you are interested in the Manx Loaghtan sheep …

Mrs Jane Kallaway and some of her flock

Langley Chase Organic Farm is an organic grassland farm, with a particular passion for producing the highest quality Manx Loaghtan lamb.

We asked Jane Kallaway of Langley Chase Organic Farm to share why the importance of food provenance and animal welfare matters to her, and why customers need to know exactly what they’re eating.

“Langley Chase Organic Farm is an organic grassland farm, passionate about producing the highest quality, fully traceable, organic rare breed Manx Loaghtan lamb. I started my flock twenty years ago when there was little food traceability or knowledge on what was being fed to livestock, how they were reared and inevitably what we as consumers, were eating.

The farm, with its ancient meadows, provides a wide variety of grassland species and wildflowers for our flock to graze and protects diverse species of wildlife in their natural habitat, including bats, birds and insects

For us it is paramount to rear healthy animals with full traceability through organic standards and sustainably nurture a rare breed, the Manx Loaghtan, with its slow maturing qualities giving a greater depth of flavour and texture

Pasture management controls our flock health, as pastures are left fallow and resting, giving clean grazing with our specific meadowland contributing to the flavour of our lamb which has won us over nineteen awards.

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Langley Chase Organic Farm was started by Jane Kallaway, who wanted to provide her family with high quality, traceable, organic meat and help save a rare breed sheep. 

Jane chose the Manx Loaghtan, a primitive rare breed, because it is lower in fat and cholesterol than commercial breeds, and is slow maturing producing meat with a great depth of flavour. The breed would also be perfect for Langley Chase’s organic pastures and meadows. 

Langley Chase won its first Organic Food Award in 2001 and has since been won Best Lamb and Mutton in the UK at the awards.  
Manx Loaghtan is an endangered sheep breed that is originally from the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea and that was almost extinct at the beginning of the 1970’s. Meanwhile their number has increased to about 1500 female animals, but nevertheless the species is still at high risk. Today, Manx Loaghtan are bred only very rarely, because they do not fulfill the commercial requirements that dictate a faster growth of the lamb’s and white wool.

Fowlescombe is located close to Dartmoor and its history goes back to the year 1537. The estate has now for many years been led with dedication by Barbara and Richard Barker and is certified by the Soil Association to organic standards. Both are committed not only to the conservation of rare sheep breeds, but to the protection of animals and environment in a much broader sense and they are members of the committee of the RBST’s Devon Support Group. Fowlescombe offers holiday cottages in a magnificent landscape – 2009/2010 the farm has won the Beautiful Farm Award for West- and Southwest Great Britain.

We visited Fowlescombe in June 2014 for the sheep shearing in order to meet Barbara, Richard and their exceptional sheep. The animals graze on bountiful pastures over several hills and on meadows with apple trees. The lands stretch over 191 hectars in all. Currently, they have about 100 ewes of the Manx Loaghtan and Hebridean breeds. Together with the lambs and rams, there are about 250 sheep in total on the farm. In the video Richard tells us about the Fowlescombe flock.

More information: http://rosygreenwool.com/manx


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