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White Park Cattle are an ancient British breed of cattle. Their history of more than two thousand years links them with Druids, hunting parks and Stately Homes. They have an intense white coat contrasted by black nose and ears and majestic horns. They are believed to be Britain’s oldest breed of cattle. A thrifty, hardy and native breed, they are being increasingly used for environmental grazing. They are used as the symbol of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust. We now have a herd of 25 animals on the farm. Our bull, Templeson Alderman, produced 6 out of 6 heifers last year … and he’s been on form this year with some cracking little heifers born and one young bull calf that we are very excited about. We are in the Higher Level Stewardship Scheme and use the White Park Cattle to graze the rougher ends of the farm, they prefer the rougher herbage to rich grass. They do a marvellous job of cleaning up the rushes and thrive on poorer quality grass. The White Park cattle are genetically pre-disposed to feast and famine farming i.e. they put on the wonderfully marbelled fat during the summer but do not suffer in the tougher times of winter. In the past we have out-wintered them (no mean feat in this part of the world) but prefer to house them indoors during the winter months. The special qualities of White Park beef puts it at the top of the field, even King James I recognized it’s qualities as far back as 1617, when he dubbed a joint as ‘Sir Loin’. |
