Herd of rare ancient cattle draws visitors from across the country

The White Park Cattle Society held its annual meeting during an open day at Catfield, where Tim and Geli Harris keep a 106-strong herd.

Around 50 visitors travelled to the Broads from as far afield as Wales and Scotland to see grazing cows, calves and bulls, and demonstrations of the farm's handling systems.

Tim and Geli Harris (centre) pictured at Catfield with White Park Cattle Society chairman Alistair Black (left) and president Lawrence Alderson (right) (Image: Archant)

The day also included the society's first annual meeting for three years, due to the Covid pandemic.

Chairman Alistair Black, who is based at Broome, near Bungay, said he was pleased to bring society members to "one of the best herds in the UK" to discuss the distinctive breed's preservation, management and marketing.

Society president Lawrence Alderson said White Park cattle are famed for their heritage, their adaptability to rough grazing and "an ability to convert poor quality roughage into the highest quality beef".

Mr Alderson, who travelled from the south coast near the New Forest, said: "The White Park goes back 1,200 years in written record, and it goes back 10,000 years in DNA record.

"It is the most ancient breed in Britain but, beyond the heritage part of it, we want diversity. Uniformity is a nasty word as far as we are concerned.

"We need enough variation in the breed for it to adapt to be suitable for a whole range of systems of management, and different environments.

"So I cannot tell you what an ideal White Park is, because a White Park that suits the Norfolk Broads, to the top of the Pennines, to a nice fertile pasture down in Devon - they are all different animals."

Livestock farmers from across the country visited the herd of rare White Park cattle owned by Tim and Geli Harris at Catfield (Image: Archant)

Mr Harris said he began keeping White Park cattle "by accident" 25 years ago, as he needed a way of grazing the grass buffers he established to protect the rare ecosystems of Catfield Fen.

He said: "The animals are doing a super job at grazing this land. They are extremely good lawnmowers and they are very attractive beasts, with a very good temperament."

The Catfield herd now has five separate breeding groups, with around 10 breeding cows in each, and has produced some highly-prized pedigree bulls.

White Park cattle at Catfield (Image: Archant)

Tim and Geli Harris with their White Park Cattle at Catfield (Image: Archant)

White Park cattle at Catfield (Image: Archant)

White Park cattle at Catfield (Image: Archant)