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

MORE ON THE LONG HORNS OF CISSBURY RING

Copyright Valerie Martin 2008

Published in Sussex Local in April 2008

Did you realise that the Long Horn breed of cattle would have been a regular sight in the Cissbury area to the Ancient Britons..... perhaps to those building the Iron Age Fort all those years ago.

Click on my photographs to enlarge

At the end of February 2008 I had an opportunity to get close enough to the Long Horn calf that had been born at Christmastime.    This Little White Bull had chummed up with the only other calf in the herd..... an older model.....

Family group

Suzie and Katie keep wagging their tails and kiss the calves on their noses and appear enthralled.

That could be Mum up on the ramparts.... keeping a watchful eye on the youngster.

Gamboling like a lamb.

"Don't worry, I'm only kissing your baby".

Follow my leader...... bye!

By July 2008, a grand total of eleven babes had been born successfully to the famous Long Horn cows who were by now homed on the Western Escarpment overlooking Findon.   Only two of the eleven calves were female and would be kept in the herd.   Unfortunately two others were lost....... one to Fly Strike .... and one would not suckle.  

A little later on, some of the mothers and older Long Horn calves were supposed to be going to take a gentle walk over to Lancing Ring for the summer.   No date was determined and they did not make the trek.  

The younger calves and their mothers were going to be trucked over to Fairmile Bottom on the A29.... but they did not appear to make the journey either so I did not know quite what was happening.

The old bull on Cissbury Ring was no more.... do not worry.... he was perfectly O.K. and going strong and got his mind on more important things during the summer months....... and was visiting five Long Horn ladies in Hampshire for the duration..... but I have it on good authority that he would be back..

During the summer of 2008 the beasts were munching their way along the Western Escarpment and I could only guess they have digested any of the rare Round Headed Rampion buds that have dared to grow in their usual habitat.   Such is progress.  

On the 29th August 2008 I saw the Long Horns on the Western Escarpment at 9 a.m. but by the evening, Mark Hampshire had emailed to say they had been moved back up to their old hunting ground..... on the summit again.

Continue if you would like to read about the Cissbury Adders in 2008 — Totals Never To Be Repeated

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