Cows in a gang

[Kishimo]

I was recently on a long walk/camping trip with some friends near where I live, and part of our route was to walk through a field.  As we approached this field, a group of cows (possibly 25 or so cows, I think) ran towards the gate we were headed for, completely blocking it.  When me and my friends walked in one direction, the whole group of cows would follow, stand there and just stare at us...does anyone know why?  It was quite frightening at the time (and in the end our group decided to walk around the field, rather than through it...lol).  Also, this route we were taking was a public footpath, and we did nothing to provoke the cows.  Were they just curious or is there another reason as to why they followed us?

Thanks in advance.

[Gelp]

Hey all, this is interesting stuff.
Here's a story for you. Sorry if it's a bit long, I can't do brief ;)
Tonight (Friday) my gf decided we should finally go for a walk, taken from a book.  We set out @7pm, near to Chatsworth, nice walk, luckily the weather held out too!  Near the end, public footpath signs took us thro' a farm, on the left a band of cows behind a wall started chasing us down the field :)  I grew up with dairy cows at the bottom of the garden so I was ok with them & their inquisitions, just barge thro', worst they can do is lick u to death ;) My gf however, being from the city freaked out a bit despite a wall in between! lol.  After a gate, the yellow arrow indicated straight on thro' the next field. We soon saw the village we started out from in the distance, a welcome sight. Ahead we saw a young adult cow on it's own, not looking very closely we got closer to about 30m & it was RIGHT were the stile was to get to the next field, I looked closer, "ffs it's got a dangly thing & that's most definitely a chuffing bull"... probably chatting up the ladees in an adjacent field ;)  It looked up...  I told my gf to stop & thought how we could get past, next second it bl**dy charged us!  Gf briskly panicked & I shouted to go back where we came.  I stopped sharp in defence & the bull stopped.  Thinking we gotta get away, I turned & followed my gf, but as I looked back the bull charged again, this time I started to brick it, the gate was miles away... luckily it seemed young.  I stopped sharp again, threw my hands up & shouted at it to get away a few times.  The bull stopped, I gave it a mean stare & we got away, looking over our shoulders all the way.

[Gelp]

... Gf was of course freaked out, if the bull was bigger & older I think we'd have been in serious cow pat!  We knew no alternative route back to the car except the way we came, which was a 90 min walk thro' a wet forested hill, now getting dark... not very safe. 30 mins failing to find an alternative route, and too shook up to take on any fields with animals in! lmao. We went back to the farm but finally got directions from a neighbour. Thankfully we both got home unhurt & relatively happy, but shaken up.  I'm really tempted to write to the farmer adn maybe report it to the authorities, I don't know what could have happened! :(