Glamorgan cattle
It was thought that Glamorgan Cattle (Gwartheg Morgannwg) had died out and were effectively extinct in Britain in the 1920s. In 1979 Major 'Teddy' Savage of Sedlescombe, near Hastings in East Sussex, decided to sell his cattle herd which he claimed included Glamorgan cattle, Pembroke cattle and Gloucester cattle. He first offered his cattle to the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, but the Trust decided not to buy them as there was no documentation to confirm the origins of the Glamorgan cattle and the Pembroke cattle. The (purported) Pembroke cattle were sold in a local market but have subsequently disappeared. However, West Glamorgan County Council learnt of the sale and purchased the Glamorgans and brought them to Margam Country Park in an attempt to ensure the survival of the breed. The herd remains strong and over 200 animals have been bred to date.
Glamorgan cattle are similar in colour to the Austrian Pinzgau cattle, although it is not clear whether there is any relationship. Nevertheless, Margam Country Park bought a Pinzgau bull in 1994 in order to improve the bloodline. Glamorgan cattle can be recognised by their chestnut coloured coat and broad white stripe along the backbone, down the tail, and under the belly.
Origins and provenance
The breed was once common in the counties of Glamorgan, Monmouth, and Brecon, but was reputedly only rarely to be seen west of the River Dulais. The cows were reputed to be very good milkers, producing high butterfat milk, and were held in high regard by King George III, who had a herd of them on his farm in Windsor. He also used Glamorgan oxen for farm work. The breed was not esteemed for its ability to produce high yields of beef, although it did not lack in quality.
During the nineteenth century it became increasingly common to cross Glamorgan cattle with other breeds such as Hereford cattle, Ayrshire cattle, and Shorthorn cattle. The crossing improved the beef yield, although some would maintain that this was at the expense of quality.
In time, the breed would almost disappear due to crossbreeding and farmers selling their herds to buy Hereford cattle or Shorthorn cattle. Today a herd can be seen at Margam Country Park in Neath Port Talbot.
References
- R J Colyer, 'Some Welsh breeds of cattle in the nineteenth century', The Agricultural History Review
- Paul Weaver, 'A Glamorgan Cattle History', The Ark, 2000 (Autumn) 92-3.