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

“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.

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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 18^th and 19^th 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

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And if you are interested in the Manx Loaghtan sheep …

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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