Meet the locals!
Lucy & Richard from Cotswolds Guided Tours, run fantastic 6 hour tours of the Cotswolds. We love meeting guests from all around the globe. During our tours as we travel to each location we explain the history & quirky facts.
There are lots of beautiful villages to explore in the Cotswolds, as we travel through this beautiful region we will be passing through farmland. Guests travelling on our Cotswold tours, often ask what type of cow is that? Or is that a Cotswolds lion? So we wanted to add a page to the website of breeds that are reared & farmed within the Cotswolds.
Well we have to start off with our most famous Cotswolds resident, the Cotswolds Lion. Now these are classed as a rare breed. Rare breeds are poultry or livestock that has a very small breeding population, usually from a few hundred to a few thousand. Because of this they have special conservation status. It is thanks to the Cotswolds Lions that the Cotswolds became famous, with merchants travelling as far as Italy in the 1600s to buy the wool being produced in this special part of England. The Suffolk is one of our favourites, it became popularised with the animated television series & films of 'Shaun the Sheep'. The Suffolk is a breed of medium build, dark-faced, hornless sheep & is easy to identify. It was developed in England between 1800 to 1850. The Oxford Down, is a beautiful, comical looking sheep, another rare breed, a larger, heavier sheep, with excellent fleece production. As our Famous Cotswolds Tour travels into the Oxfordshire Cotswolds, then we wanted to share this one with you.
The Highland Cow, hmm not something you would normally associated with the Cotswolds, however during our Cotswold Highlights Tour we travel through parkland owned by the Stanway Estate, who have a herd of Highland Cattle. This breed can be elusive, when it is time for the young to be born the heifer will take herself off, to a private, secluded spot and will only bring her calf out to show the 'fold' (a collective name for the herd) when she is ready. Both the males (Bulls) & females have horns, a good rule of thumb, bulls horns grow forwards, slightly down. The heifer's face upwards, longer and finer. Next we have a rare breed, the British Longhorn, with only a few hundred in the UK. There is a herd of Longhorns on the outskirts of Upper Slaughter, a village we visit on our Famous Cotswolds Tour. Lastly we have the Welsh Blacks, originating from just over the border in Wales. These teddy-bear like cattle, which can be found just outside of Chastleton, It is one of the oldest breeds in Britain going back to pre-Roman times.
The Gloucester Old Spot, the breed is just over 100 years old, first registered in 1914. The breed is hardy and easy to handle, known for their very gentle nature and character with good mothering abilities. The breed was also known as ‘The Orchard Pig’ believed to have grazed in the cider orchards throughout the South West The Large British White, probably one of the most popular breeds throughout England, popularised with young families with the film 'Babe'. Lastly we have the British Saddleback with its distinctive white band around its middle and front legs.
Cotswolds Day Trip
Cotswolds Guided Tours, are a local family run business, there aim is to ensure your Cotswolds day trip, is fun, relaxed & informative. If you are looking for the best Cotswolds tour then we hope you decide to spend the day with us exploring this fantastic Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty!
We have two North Cotswold Tours to choose from, our Famous Cotswolds Tour & the Cotswold Highlights Tour