Vaynol
The vaynol herd was established at Vaynol Park in North Wales in 1872 with a bull, 9 cows and 6 two year old
heifers and by 1886 numbers had increased to 37. Their ancestry was mixed, with white highland bulls being used on
wild white cattle, with further experimental crosses between 1879 and 1886 using Highland, Ayrshire and Indian cattle.
The Indian cross must have been partially successful as evidence persisted in the vaynols in the 1980s. An old cow,
Haf and her son Waldo, both exhibited the swept back horn pattern and black colouring.
The vaynol herd had bulls from the Cadzow white park herd introduced in 1896 and 1915, the Cadzow herd having been
influenced earlier by Chillingham cattle. Other bulls from Cadzow and Dynevor were used and the herd finally closed
in 1930.
Since 1930 the herd has always been small in size and an inspection in 1951 showed 2 bulls, 10 cows and 3 calves.
By 1980 there were 1 adult bull, 3 yearling bulls, 9 cows and 3 heifers. The herd had evolved through an extended
inbreeding bottleneck, which continues to the present. In 1980 Vaynol Park was sold, the cattle were tranquilised
and removed to Shugborough Park Farm. In 1984 the Friends of Shugborough Park Farm gifted the herd to the RBST.
From there they were moved to Bemborough Park Farm, then on to Graves Park at Sheffield, with some going to Temple
Newsam and a few to St Davids, Dyfed. By 1989 all the remaining cattle were transferred to Temple Newsam.
The herd consisted initially of 12 animals, but they thrived and numbers have now increased to 43.
The vaynols come in either black, or white with black points and we have had twins that have come out one of each!
Strangely enough, numbers seem to keep to half and half, colour-wise. Originally at Vaynol Park, in the early part
of the 1900s, the black calves were culled as it was thought that it signified that there would be a death in
the family. But as numbers are so low this is no longer done.
They are very angular in build, with sloping pelvis, sickle hocks and upward pointing horns. They do not produce
much milk or meat. The calves are very small when born and are usually hidden by their mothers in a thicket or
overgrown area. They tend to be very aggressive to both humans and other cattle, with a very dominant herd
heirarchy.
Rare Breeds Survival Trust
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