Highland cow and golfers on Minchinhampton Common

I drove up to Tom Long’s Post crossroads on Minchinhampton Common at about 6pm to have a walk and enjoy its many delights. As I neared the cross roads I saw that the herd of highland cattle were settled close by one of the fairways of the golf course next to the road.

I parked a few hundred yards away near the reservoir on the road to Amberley and walked back across the grassland to where the herd was sitting. The grass and herbs were quite long where the grass hadn’t been mown with pretty flowers and an occasional butterfly flitting about.

I love the cattle and just stood near to them as they either chewed the cud or sometimes gathered their big bodies up and stood to eat some more grass. I think many of them are pregnant as their bodies seemed larger than normal. One year I was driving across the common when one cow gave birth about fifty yards from the road in the time I took to go to the supermarket in Nailsworth about two miles away. One my return the cow was licking the new born calf which was already up and walking.

I stood at the end of one of the golf course greens and watched this family play over and around the cows which completely ignored them. They then walked a few yards to the next tee and while they made their drives to the next hole I stood watching this cow observing me. I seemed to be more interesting than the golfers.