Grieving relatives have spoken of their horror after visiting their loved ones graves at a Bristol cemetery over the weekend to find memorials damaged, graves covered with cowpats and cows eating flowers placed on graves.
Four cows from a council-owned field next to the South Bristol Crematorium got into the graveyard on Saturday (April 13) and spent that day and most of Sunday causing issues for those visiting their loved ones’ graves. One woman described how there were different families in tears as people visiting the cemetery tried in vain to round up the cows or shoo them away from the graves.
The owner of the cows has apologised, saying they are ‘so sorry for the heartbreak caused’. But people left distraught by the incident said they have questions of Bristol City Council.
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Jane Channing, who regularly visits her son's grave at South Bristol Crematorium, said she first heard that cows had gotten into the cemetery on Saturday afternoon, when a family member visiting a grave told her. “I couldn’t sleep that night, I was worrying about it. I’ve got my son buried there and 40 members of my family, so it is very important to me,” she said.
“So we went up there as soon as we could on Sunday and I couldn’t believe it - and I was amazed that the cows were still there. No one had got them out."
The Knowle grandmother said other families arrived to find their loved ones’ graves had been trampled. She added: “There were people crying, distraught at what they were arriving to find. The Muslim section of the cemetery was probably worst affected. I went down there and this Muslim lady was in tears, very upset at what had happened. We talked and I said ‘I know, my love, it’s terrible’."
Mrs Channing said that, despite a serious heart condition, she had to use her walking stick to try to keep the cows away from the graves. “I’m there walking around trying to get them away, we were even ‘mooing’ at them to move them, it felt so degrading,” she said.
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Mrs Channing went angrily to neighbouring Yew Tree Farm to demand Catherine Withers, the farmer who lives there, remove them, only to be told that the cows weren’t Catherine’s.
Last week, Bristol Live revealed that Bristol City Council had controversially switched the lease and grazing rights for the council-owned land next to the South Bristol Crematorium from Catherine Withers, who lives at Yew Tree Farm, to her sister Liz and her father, who farm near Clevedon.
That decision is controversial because the council’s environmental protection staff were among several people who reported Liz Withers to the police for allegedly damaging a Site of Nature Conservation Interest on a different field near Yew Tree Farm earlier this year.
By the Sunday, the police became involved, and assisted Liz Withers in retrieving the cows who, by that point later on Sunday afternoon, had moved over to Bedminster Down.
Elizabeth Withers apologised for the heartbreak caused, and said the cows had got through a gate which had been left open, and then through a broken fence.
“Firstly we would like to sincerely apologise to any families that were affected by the cows’ escape into the crematorium and we are so sorry for the heartbreak caused,” she said. “I found evidence that the kissing gate next to the railway line was left open. The cows got onto the footpath and then broke into the crematorium through a broken fence. Unfortunately, it is not the first time in the 40 years of grazing cattle on the council land that they have escaped in this manner. It is one of the difficulties of urban farming.
“The cattle belong to the owner of Yew Tree farm, my father Gerald Withers, and myself. Historically, any problems with the cows were reported to the family member living at Yew Tree Farm those messages were then passed on and dealt with immediately. As of late family relationships have broken down.”
Elizabeth Withers said she couldn’t find the cows in the fields on Saturday, but it is unclear when she was made aware by the council and crematorium staff that they were in the cemetery. “I went to check on the cows on Saturday afternoon with my sister Sally. We couldn’t locate the cows but found fresh footprints and dung that suggested they had been in the field that day,” she said.
“My father has enrolled Yew Tree Farm on Countryside Stewardship and Environmental Stewardship for the last 23 years, this has created many hiding places for the cattle, they can be very difficult to find.
“I returned to look for the cows on Sunday. I drove into the Crematorium but didn’t see the cows there. I finally located them as I had a call from the police saying that they were in the fields behind the public toilets on Bedminster Down. I’d like to thank the police for their help. I understand that new fencing is being organised by the council.”
Catherine Withers said she was heartbroken after so many people had got in touch to report the cows being in the cemetery. "My heart goes out to anyone affected by the cows straying onto the crematorium. These are not my cattle," she said. "I pointed out poor fencing and gates in person and via email to the council only last month. I got blanked and no response.
"I could not be more horrified that I am being implicated, but I completely understand people's anger for the damage, and that the cows were not attended to."
Bristol Live has approached Bristol City Council over the incident. We asked why the owners of the cows weren’t initially contacted when members of the public began complaining on Saturday, and also asked why a fresh grazing agreement was entered into without first securing the fencing between the cemetery and the council-owned fields. A response is awaited.
