The Craven Heifer - England's largest ever cow

Available for over a year

The Craven Heifer still holds the title as the largest cow ever exhibited in England. Born in 1807, she grew to extraordinary size over five years, reaching a weight of 312 stone, stretching more than 11 feet in length and standing over 5 feet tall at the shoulder. Her sheer scale turned her into a travelling spectacle. Crowds paid to see her as she toured from Wakefield to London, stopping in towns and cities along the way. Bred by the Rev William Carr on the Duke of Devonshire’s Bolton Abbey estate in Yorkshire, she was fed intensively until her remarkable size demanded special treatment, including a cowshed fitted with a door twice the usual width. Gayle Lofthouse spoke to Moira Smith from Bolton Abbey about the legend of The Craven Heifer. Image Credit: W. D. Fryer