Dinefwr White Park cattle


Dinefwr is the ancestral home of an ancient breed of White Park cattle that can trace their origins back for at least 1000 years.

A living link to the distant past

The earliest written references to white cattle with coloured points are found in the laws of Hywel Dda. He was a ruler in the 10th century with strong connections to Dinefwr.

Modern times

Unfortunately, the herd was dispersed by the 9th Baron Dynevor in the early 1970s when he was forced to sell the estate to pay death duties. Realising that the cattle were an integral part of the historic fabric of the estate the National Trust decided to reintroduce cattle from the original bloodlines in 1992.

Perfectly proportioned

The White Park cow has long horns which usually grow outwards and then curve forward and upwards. Cattle of this breed produce a very desirable lean carcass.

The most distinctive feature of the White Park is its colour.  It's white with black (sometimes red) points - the points being the nose, ears, feet, teats and horn tips - with black rims around the eyes. The coat is fine and silky during the summer but grows longer and thicker in winter.

Mowing machines

Dinefwr Park is the only parkland in Wales to be designated a National Nature Reserve. It's widely recognised that conservation grazing is an integral part of its successful management.

We have the perfect tool for the job - an ancient, traditional breed of cattle that are an icon of this special place.

White Park cattle show strong maternal qualities and protective instincts. They're able to tolerate low quality roughage feeds. They're noted for their longevity - Dinefwr cows will breed quite successfully for up to 16 years.

Good breeding

The present herd consists of 18 cows, one bull, six yearling heifers and 13 calves. We need to maintain this number to provide us with sufficient female replacements to safeguard the bloodline and to afford us the privilege of being selective as regards type (well pointed).

As such, it's essential to keep stock numbers at this level. Cattle that are surplus to our requirements, such as poorly marked heifers and males, are sold.

Dinefwr is the herd prefix and we have some cow families that date back to the earliest herd book records. These include Dinefwr Crystal, Dinefwr Phoenix and Dinefwr Gwenllian.