Rare tribe of free-roaming goats

Rare black and white Bagot goats roam free on parkland owned by a family whose association with the breed goes back more than 600 years

“The lust of the goat is the bounty of God” William Blake, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell

Under a magnificent spreading oak in the heart of the rambling grounds of Levens Park, a tribe of distinctively marked black-and-white goats are resting in the shade. Nannies lie panting gently in the rough grass, trying to ignore the hungry pestering of their kids. A young male stands on his back legs, stretching to reach some low-hanging leaves. Two heavy-set billies, shaggy-coated and sporting long, curving horns, half-heartedly butt heads, too hot to engage in any serious tests of strength. These striking animals are Bagots, believed to be one of the oldest documented breeds of goat in the country, and today one of the rarest. Classified as ‘vulnerable’ by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, with only 200-300 registered breeding females, more than 50 Bagots range freely across the Cumbrian parkland. Levens Park, a few miles south-east of the Lake District, midway between Kendal and Milnthorpe, is an appropriate home. For one thing, it is owned by the eponymous Bagot family, who have been associated with Levens Hall and Park since the turn of the 19th century, and much longer with Blithfield Hall in Staffordshire, where the Bagot goat breed was first documented in 1387. In addition, the rugged yet rolling parkland itself suits the semi-wild nature of its resident goats. The Bagots’ home range at Levens is part of an earlier medieval deer park that hugs both banks of the River Kent for approximately a mile of its lower reaches. It is one of England’s fastest-flowing rivers, tumbling 809yds (740m) from its source on the southern slopes of High Street fell in the Lake District. After approximately 20 miles, the water reaches its outflow at the north of Morecambe Bay, a short distance downstream of the park. By the time it reaches Levens Park, it has slowed to a riffle, but has still incised deeply into the limestone landscape.

Landscaped by French gardener Guillaume Beaumont in the early 18th century, the park is historically significant in marking a shift from the formal garden styles that had been the fashion up to this time, towards a more natural landscape style. Tree planting at Levens echoes the curves of the river valley, complementing rather than competing with nature. The one rather formal exception to this is the mile-long avenue of oaks that runs through the park. It is under one of these mighty trees the Bagot goats are resting this afternoon, and it seems to provide the perfect habitat.

Diverse appearance

Andrew Kitching is estate maintenance manager for Levens Hall, and the man charged with looking after the goats. “We’ve got 51 at the moment, though there have been up to 70 at times,” he says. “There are two large billies, and three or four smaller adult males.” Bagots are small- to medium-sized goats, but are strong, well-proportioned animals, and the two large billies at Levens Park are particularly impressive, with big horns and shaggy coats. Both male and female Bagots have horns, which are slightly twisted,

When fully grown, the Bagot’s horns form a sweeping curve with ridges, or fluting. They can be used for fighting within the herd or to express dominance.

In many species, only males produce horns, but Bagot females also grow them. A theory for this is that their size and open habitat makes them more visible to predators.

As well as their distinctive horns, the Bagot goats at Levens Park have predominantly black heads and chests and white hindquarters, although their markings can vary considerably.

Under the shady canopy of an ancient oak, the Levens tribe of Bagots graze on parkland owned by the family that gave them their name.