22 November 2005
Welsh Blacks walk back in time
There was a flash-back to days gone by in Pembrokeshire as 120 head of Welsh Black Cattle were driven on foot through the county's lanes.

It took Brian and Margot Bateman and their helpers two hours to walk their pedigree Orielton herd from its summer grazing at the Ministry of Defence's Castle Martin airfield to winter quarters at Gupton Farm, Freshwater West.

“In spite of the foggy weather the cattle did incredibly well,” says Margot, who with Brian established the herd in 1988.

“The MoD staff were a great help, and all went well. Some of the older cattle in particular had an idea of where they were going, and we stuck to our usual route. We like driving them, it's good for the cows in general to have a nice walk and it saves having to load them on and off lorries. This is the natural way, how it used to be done years ago. Job done.”

It was a scene reminiscent of the days when drovers would spend weeks herding Wales ' native cattle breed to markets in England.

They would return to Wales with large amounts of money which unfortunately made them the target of bandits and highwaymen. However, it was this constant threat of robbery prompted the formation of the first bank – the Bank of the Black Ox, which evolved into Lloyds Bank.

Wales' native cattle are a tremendously hardy breed, with the ability to withstand extremes of temperature and terrain, and the Welsh Black is officially classified as a dual-purpose, producing both milk and beef. With formation of the Welsh Black Cattle Society in 1904, the Pembrokeshire Welsh Blacks along with the North Wales and Glamorgan types merged to create the breed we know today.