The Herdsman mural, Hereford

We came upon the mural in today's post purely by chance. A little research discovered that it is one of eight that aim to brighten up the city. I'm not the biggest fan of such things, but when the quality is good I can appreciate a mural as much as anyone. And this one is, I think, very good. It enlivens part of "The Herdsman" pub, a hostelry dating from 1900. The pub's name must surely derive from the location outside the former city walls on Widemarsh Street, along which cattle (and sheep) would be driven into the city, and where there was a cattle market.

The depicted cattle are, of course, the world-famous Herefordshire breed, and the apples may well be cider apples, the county and city being known for cider-making.

I can't explain the flowers that form part of the cattle, nor do I know quite why the robin has a visible heart, but these details all add interest to a fine piece of work, by Curtis Hylton, that is a pleasure to view.

photos 1 & 2 © T. Boughen     Camera: Olympus OMD E-M10
photo3 © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon D5300

Dun Belted Galloway

My edition of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) describes the word "dun" as "Of a dull or dingy brown colour; now esp. dull greyish brown, like the hair of the ass and mouse" and suggests it may derive from the Old English "dun(n), the Irish and Gaelic "donn" or the Welsh "dwn". Consequently it is used to describe one of the three colours that feature in Belted Galloway cattle, the others being red (i.e. orange brown) and black. I've seen plenty of Black Belted Galloways, but no reds, and, until recently no duns. However, on a recent family visit to the summit of May Hill, Gloucestershire, I noticed a Dun Belted Galloway cow in the bracken with some black examples of the breed.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Hot cattle

It's not unusual for the temperature to reach 27℃ in September but it still surprises us when it does, and moreso when it is a run of three or four days with similarly high values. And, just as we humans seek shade and cooler spots at such times, so too do cattle. Those that graze in the fields next to the River Monnow at Monmouth have the luxury of paddling in the shallows or lazing on the damp sands. But, as I've remarked before, while that is understandable, doing in so in a tight bunch would seem to negate any benefits.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Belted Galloway cattle

We came across this group of a dozen or so Belted Galloway cattle on the steep slopes of the Malvern Hills above the town of Great Malvern. They look somewhat like cattle dressed up in panda suits and were brought there by the Malvern Hills Conservators, the body charged with looking after this range of hills, in order to keep areas of grassland open and unencroached by bracken, shrubs and trees. The distinctive breed originates from the Galloway region of south-west Scotland where its hardy qualities enabled it to turn poor grazing into beef. They are a reasonably common sight in England, used by conservation groups to maintain open pasture and the flora and fauna that depends upon it.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Sony DSC-RX100

Cattle by the River Monnow

It was a hot, humid day as we walked along the bank of the River Monnow at Monmouth. Some of the cattle were, understandably, standing in the water and taking a drink to cool down. What wasn't understandable is why they were all packed so closely together rather than spreading out so they could all refresh themselves. That compressed mass of bodies must have generated a heat that negated any benefit they derived from going to the river.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Sony DSC-RX100