All our domestic cattle are descended from the giant wild Aurochs as depicted in Neolithic cave paintings and Highland cattle can probably claim the closest lineage to these. During the waves of invasions by Romans, Danes and Anglo-Saxons, the Celtic people were driven to the remote mountain regions of the North and West and took their cattle with them. The severe weather conditions caused the cattle to evolve a double coat for protection. The Highland represents an extreme of the great range of genetic variation found within domestic cattle breeds and it is for this reason that we have kept a herd at the Farm Park.

The Romans are said to have brought white cattle to these islands for religious reasons. When they evacuated the country in 410 AD their herds were turned loose and ran feral in the forests. They were hunted by the Plantagenet monarchs as beasts of the chase and later enclosed in the hunting parks of Norman Barons, handed down to us as White Park Cattle. There are five ancestral herds remaining and our cattle are descended from the Chartley herd. The White Park is a specialist beef breed, capable of thriving in a wide variety of conditions, used for conservation grazing and also as a decorative parkland breed. It is noted for ease of calving and longevity.

Native to the county of Gloucestershire, the old Gloucester was a multi-purpose breed, used for ploughing, beef and cheese production, as it’s milk had high protein content and small fat globules, ideal for making Double and Single Gloucester cheese. An attractive, medium-sized animal, the breed is a beautiful, dark mahogany colour with a white stripe on the back, down the hindquarters, including the tail, and along the belly. Sadly the breed started to decline in the 17th century and by 1970 there was just one herd left at Wick Court nr Gloucester. In 1972 the herd was dispersed, but thankfully there were sufficient enthusiasts present to ensure that the breed was saved.

The Belted Galloway is native to South West Scotland and North West England. Ideally suited to rugged upland and mountain terrain, the Belted Galloway is equally at home on quiet riverside meadows, producing plenty of well-marbled, excellent quality beef. The colour is usually black, but may be dun or red, and in most cases there is a very distinctive white belt completely encircling the body between shoulders and hips. Long hair with a dense undercoat protects the animal from the harsh weather of its native area. It is a hardy and thrifty, polled breed of medium size, which can be out wintered.

For thousands of years oxen were the main source of power on farms throughout the world and are still vital in many developing countries. Oxen are any working cattle, of any breed (mainly castrated males), which were trained to pull heavy loads or used for draught purposes. Before the use of horses, and the horse collar had been invented, oxen were used due to the ease at which they could be yoked. We have trained oxen at the Cotswold Farm Park for over 20 years and have used Welsh Blacks, Longhorns, Gloucester’s, White Parks and even Highlands, although Longhorns prove most successful in this role.