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.