THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — www.findonvillage.com  created by Valerie Martin, contains scenes from her home village of Findon, West Sussex, U.K.

WHEN TEXAS CAME TO FINDON

Copyright Valerie Martin 2008

Published in the Findon Valley and Village Directory in February 2008

In November 2007 I found this sign early in the morning.... where do you think it was?   

I do not suppose you would think that you would ever see the day when the National Trust would put this notice on Cissbury Ring...........and here is the magnificent 12-year old fella caught with my camera...

.... and here he is with his concubines .......and giving me the eye....

I recognised these immediately as the Long Horn Cattle from nearby Pulborough Brooks..... they had come to spend the winter with us.... and there were sixteen on Cissbury Ring, including one calf.     I think this must be the first time that Long Horn Cattle have been on Cissbury.

  I spoke to the owner who lives in Storrington and he has over sixty of these cattle.

I just knew that John Greves of Walton-on-Thames (ex-Findonian) would be the first to email me on this subject....

Nearly everyone was wary of the arrival of the sixteen Long Horn cattle housed at Cissbury Ring and many thought the gates were insecure and they would eventually get out.    This they did, but only when persons unknown stole a gate (yes, misdemeanours of this kind do happen in Findon) and they made their escape.    Their freedom did not last for very long and Vic Oliver the Warden very soon rounded them up again.

John Greves from Walton-on-Thames  emailed again...."Cissbury cattle ....... looks like an act of intimidation ...... commercial herds have their horns removed (disbudded) for safety reasons.

Gate does not look secure - serious offence if cattle stray on to a highway these days. Trading Standards seem to be taking on the role of Countryside Managers these days - footpaths etc."

Here's a bit of serious information that may be of interest to anyone frequenting the Ring...

The Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981 bans bulls of recognised dairy breeds (Ayrshire, British Friesian, British Holstein, Dairy Shorthorn, Guernsey, Jersey and Kerry) in all circumstances from being at large in fields crossed by public rights of way.

Bulls of all other breeds are also banned from such fields unless accompanied by cows or heifers, but there are no specific prohibitions on other cattle.

I understand from Vic Oliver that the prime task of introducing these animals was for them to eat their way through the ever encroaching herbage .........and save him the never ending battle with the scrub at the Cissbury hillside. 

I understand that the Bird Ringers finished their ringing a week or two early at the end of 2007 because of the arrival of the cattle ― but they need not have worried unduly as the beasts did not appear to be taking their duties seriously and heading into the woodland.   I could not see any real inroads on clearing the pathways ― the cows were more intent in eyeing up the dog walkers on the Tank Road.

Continue if you would like to read The Cissbury Encounter.

THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — www.findonvillage.com is a continually growing record created by Valerie Martin exclusively for documenting life in Findon.