Cattle on the South Downs in Sussex

I have always liked cows. On a trip to the UK I came across a herd of cattle roaming free on the South Downs in Sussex. We had visited The Devil’s Dyke, a well-known local beauty spot with fabulous views of the Sussex countryside. And there was a herd of beautiful Aberdeen Angus cattle, with a bull and cows with calves. A perfect photo opportunity as you can see from ‘A Walk at Devil’s Dyke Brighton’!

Cattle on the South Downs in Sussex

Aberdeen Angus Cattle

The herd grazing on the lush Sussex pasture were Aberdeen Angus. They are a breed of cattle commonly used in beef production. In fact, they are one of the most popular breeds of cattle for beef production in the United States. Perhaps not surprising given their name, they were originally bred from cattle native to Scotland.

The Aberdeen Angus color tends to be predominantly black but also with some red. Mind you, they are usually all black or all red. If you want to be technical in modern times there has been a move towards a Black Angus breed and a Red Angus breed. But speaking as a vegetarian Buddhist I vote we stick to how pretty they are. Particularly seen against the beautiful backdrop of the South Downs. You can find out more about the breed of cattle here.

Cows and Calves

It is nice to see free ranging cattle and this herd included a large number of cows with calves. Some of the calves didn’t stray too far from their Mum. Like this little one who is shown partaking of a snack at the milk bar in ‘Time for a Snack’. Others were slightly older and more independent. There were quite a few red calves I noted, including one with some white face markings which made it stand out as rather unusual.

Calf Hooligans

There were small groups of older calves running around like little hooligans. I thought this one looked like a potential ring leader. This was a chunky little chap who seemed quite perplexed that no-one was around to play with when he looked up. I imagine him saying ‘So where is everybody?’. He soon found a group to start running around with though.

Let’s Not Forget Big Daddy

I had been taking photographs of the cattle for a while when this huge animal lumbered into view and I realized this was the bull. Gosh he was a size! He dwarfed the cows.

Aberdeen Angus are naturally polled, ie which means they are livestock without horns in a species that would normally have horns. I have to say, given his size, ‘Big Daddy’ would have been even more frightening with horns!

The Long Walk Home

At some point the cows started to gather up their calves and walk with intent on a well worn path. They all moved together, with stragglers running to catch up. It was not a gentle wander but a purposeful walk and I wonder if they were heading to some central point or farm for feed. As you can see in my image ‘The Long Walk Home’, one cow kept looking back to check the laggard calves were catching up. A beautiful pastoral scene.

All of my cow images from my blog are available to purchase as fine art prints and on other home decor and gift items. Just click on the image to be taken to a page with more information.

Before you go

My name is Dorothy Berry-Lound an artist and writer. You can find out more about my art and writing at https://dorothyberryloundart.com.

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