I expect they'll accuse us of photo-shopping it next, Ian. To give folk an idea how massive this breed of cattle is, the stones are from 3 to 4 feet tall. Any cattle grazing out there in the past (and that has yet to be proven) would have involved a breed called the Cornish Black. A small, short-horned breed no bigger than a Dexter, the Cornish Black is extinct, but their closest relatives are the Dexter, the Kerry Black and the Welsh Black. There is no known precedent in this area for Longhorns such as these in the clip.

Normally cattle (see West kennet Avenue at Avebury) don't impact on the stones but the evidence seems to be that this particular breed is having a detrimental effect on the Tregeseal stone circle. I noticed a similar breed on the rough, marshy, land leading up to Sunkenkirk whilst walking up to the circle a few weeks back but the circle itself was protected by a dry stone wall separating it from the cattle. If the cattle have to stay then the only way to protect the Tregeseal is to enclose it in some way - like Boscawen-un, which is enclosed by blackthorn and gorse.

I noticed some standing stones whilst out walking in Wiltshire last year - they turned out to be 'rubbing stones' presumably erected in recent times for the very purpose the cattle were using the circle stones.