Six life-sized concrete cows stand in a field in Bancroft, Milton Keynes. They have stood there — with occasional interruptions for theft, repainting, and costuming — since 1978. They are Milton Keynes’ most recognisable landmark, its most photographed artwork, and arguably its most important cultural symbol.
Here is everything you need to know about them.
The Origin
In 1978, Canadian-American artist Liz Leyh was commissioned by the Milton Keynes Development Corporation as part of a community arts programme. The brief was deliberately open — the MKDC wanted artworks that would engage residents with their new city.
Leyh’s response was six cows — life-sized, made from fibreglass and concrete, painted to look as realistic as a concrete cow reasonably can. They were installed in a field in Bancroft, in the north of the city, apparently grazing on the grass.
The intention was partly practical humour. MK was being built on agricultural land — fields where cattle had genuinely grazed for centuries. Replacing them with concrete versions was a gentle acknowledgement of what had been displaced.
The original cows were accompanied by three calves, though these were later removed.
The Thefts
The Concrete Cows have been stolen twice.
The first theft occurred in the 1990s. All six cows disappeared from the field one night. The theft required significant planning — these are large, heavy objects. They were eventually recovered and returned.
The second theft occurred in the 2000s. Again, the cows vanished. Again, they were recovered.
Nobody has ever been convicted of stealing them. Nobody has satisfactorily explained where you hide six life-sized concrete cows while the police are looking for them.
They are back in their field. They will probably be stolen again.
The Paintings
Over the decades, the Concrete Cows have been painted in the colours of nearly every football club with a connection to MK. They have been dressed in school uniforms, Santa costumes, and graduation gowns. They have been painted for charity campaigns, for political protests, and apparently just for the fun of it.
The MKDC — and later Milton Keynes Council — has generally taken a tolerant view of unauthorised painting, viewing it as evidence that the artwork has genuinely engaged with the community it was created for.
The cows are currently painted in their original black and white Holstein pattern.
Visiting
Address: Bancroft, Milton Keynes MK13 0BQ
Entry: Free — the field is publicly accessible
Open: Always
Parking: Street parking on Bancroft
The cows are visible from the road and accessible via a short walk across the field. They are exactly as described — six concrete cows standing in a field. No café, no visitor centre, no entrance fee. Just cows.
That’s rather the point.
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