Description of Chillingham cattle
The Chillingham cattle are a form of White Park cattle, although they are now generally regarded as separate from the main White Park breed. Chillingham cattle are small, with upright horns in both males and females. Like other White Parks, they are white with coloured ears (they may also have some colour on feet, nose and around the eyes). In the case of Chillinghams the ear-colour is red – in most other White Parks the ears are black (which is genetically dominant over red in cattle).
The most striking element of the historic habitat at Chillingham is the widespread occurrence of large oak trees amongst grassland (wood pasture), providing a glimpse of Britain as it may have been in medieval times. A diversity of plants and animals find a habitat here, due to the absence of the intensive farming found in most other places in Britain.
The Northumberland site is also home to a variety of other species including red squirrel, fox, and badger, as well as roe deer and fallow deer.[2] There are approximately 55 bird species including Common Buzzards, Green Woodpeckers, and the Eurasian Nuthatch which claims this latitude as its northernmost range in the United Kingdom.
An on-site warden at the park leads small groups on foot to find the Chillingham cattle herd; on some days they are evident in one of the easily accessible meadows, while on other days they are virtually impossible to find, given the tangled woodlands and the amount of space they have for roaming. Just to the east of the park is the summit of Ros Hill which gives an impressive view over the cattle.
The Chillingham cattle are a form of White Park cattle, although they are now generally regarded as separate from the main White Park breed. Chillingham cattle are small, with upright horns in both males and females. Like other White Parks, they are white with coloured ears (they may also have some colour on feet, nose and around the eyes). In the case of Chillinghams the ear-colour is red – in most other White Parks the ears are black (which is genetically dominant over red in cattle).
The most striking element of the historic habitat at Chillingham is the widespread occurrence of large oak trees amongst grassland (wood pasture), providing a glimpse of Britain as it may have been in medieval times. A diversity of plants and animals find a habitat here, due to the absence of the intensive farming found in most other places in Britain.
The Northumberland site is also home to a variety of other species including red squirrel, fox, and badger, as well as roe deer and fallow deer.[2] There are approximately 55 bird species including Common Buzzards, Green Woodpeckers, and the Eurasian Nuthatch which claims this latitude as its northernmost range in the United Kingdom.
An on-site warden at the park leads small groups on foot to find the Chillingham cattle herd; on some days they are evident in one of the easily accessible meadows, while on other days they are virtually impossible to find, given the tangled woodlands and the amount of space they have for roaming. Just to the east of the park is the summit of Ros Hill which gives an impressive view over the cattle.
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