Welcome!

Welcome to the new web site, born on July 12th 2014 for the sole purpose of helping the campaign to restore or replace the Dairy Crest model cows to the roof of the Hanworth Dairy.

To sign the petition asking Dairy Crest to replace or restore the cows, please go to http://chn.ge/1r5X2qw

Dairy Crest are the market leader in a market worth £10bn. Their brands include Cathedral City cheese, Frijj milkshake and Country Life milk and butter.

Hanworth Dairy in Feltham has been a dairy since 1931 and has had cows on display to the public in some form since then. Originally concrete cows in the gardens, and then when the more modern extension was built in 1977, cows were placed on the roof.

The roof cows, on a level with the A316 overpass, have been a landmark both for locals and visitors for the past 37 years, surviving changes of ownership and being replaced when worn out.

On the weekend of 5th of July 2014 my 2 year old son spotted with dismay that the cows had vanished.

I felt a great sense of upset and loss, having lived in the area all my 43 years and having always enjoyed passing by the cows. I immediately rang Dairy Crest to discover what had happened. I expected them to say they were cleaning or restoring the cows.

Dairy Crest said they had removed the cows for health and safety reasons and that they could make no promises that they would be returned or replaced.

I set to work, I immediately created an on-line petition and contacted the local papers.

Within days the petition had over 5000 signatures and the local paper The Hounslow Chronicle had published a series of stories on their web site and a front page story in the paper itself.

I was not alone with the strength of feeling I had about these cows and their importance to our children and to adults alike.

To date, the cows have not been replaced, and the petition is still available for signing. Please spread the word to friends and family, sign the petition and help get our cows back.

Joachim Jellinek

11 Comments


  1. I think they could use this as a great PR stunt if they were clever…perhaps cover the roof with sedum (which would be nice and environmentally sound too) together with some new ‘health and safety approved’ cows on top


    1. I think the Sedum roof is a brilliant idea. I’d also like to see cows that move and graze on it! It’s the 21st century, time for something extra interesting no? Maybe cows that sit down when rain is predicted :-0


      1. This would make the cows stand out but it could cause accidents because watching moving cows could be a distraction to drivers. I will be happy just to have static cows returned. Perhaps with solar powered lights just to illuminate our cows.
        I haven’t bought any Dairy Crest products since the cows went missing and I won’t until they are back on the roof.


  2. JJ,

    Sorry, I was a bit cheeky with sneakily registering on your site 🙂

    Just wanted to share an shopping experience with you, but couldn’t find any contact details.

    But anyway, I went to supermarket yesterday – needless to say the Frijj and Cathedral City (common place in my trolley) didn’t get a look in, and won’t until the cows come home!


  3. These are surely a local Heritage site! My American boss could never find his way home until he had seen the Cows!! Is it my imagination or have they even disappeared from Google Maps . . . .? Bring them back – they are wonderful and (did) show the lighter side to big corporate Dairy Crest


  4. I think the cows were on Job’s Dairy roof when I was young (think the sleigh was there at Christmas) the bus from Airways Terminal went past on the way to Heathrow. (so in the 50s & 60s?).


  5. My grandma worked at Jobs for over 20 years (until her death in 1992) on our visits we always had to say hello and goodbye to “Grandma’s cows” (she lived about a minute away from the dairy)
    There are so many family stories that have come out about the cows since I shared the petition.
    These cows are a part of the local landscape and history.
    I do hope they are replaced.


  6. Sung on the way home from anywhere:

    Cows on the roof go Moo, Moo, Moo
    Cows on the roof go Moo, Moo, Moo
    Cows on the roof go Moo, Moo, Moo
    We are nearly home!

    It was the sign that whatever journey we were on was about to end!


  7. Great news! And thank you for starting this petition. There are some great comments here. What I do wonder is why didn’t Dairy Crest advertise and give the public the chance to purchase the old cow models. That I am sure would have covered the cost of replacing them!

    I hope Dairy Crest hold a public opening ceremony, with a tea and dairy stall!


  8. I`m a latecomer to this emotional roller-coaster of a conservation issue, I just today read the terrible story on the Telegraph website, first shocked and heartbroken, then deep joy as I read the rest of the article!
    This is surely a national issue, as literally millions of people who have used the M3 over the past several decades have seen them, and been totally delighted and amazed by them, or looked out for them with anticipation if already aware of them.
    That`s almost everybody, (those not sleeping), entering London on the M3/A316 feeder road over the last 40yrs nearly. A truly enormous number of people.
    Think of all those first-timers who have been told about them beforehand, disbelieved and ridiculed their, to them, seemingly barking mad informer, and then of course been staggered that it was true! And then laughed and talked with their surprisingly knowledgeable friend, their journey and maybe their whole day uplifted. Myself included in 1981 when I moved to Hanworth for 20yrs. Admittedly not just for the cows!
    They must be known about over a huge distance, who knows how far, by an amazing number of travellers to London from the West by road, they are a national landmark, and must must must absolutely be saved.
    How many children have pestered how many parents with a never-ending “Will we see the cows on the roof Daddy, I want to see the cows on the roof, when will we see the cows on the roof?”
    Well done, very well done indeed Joachim.
    I now have this firmly on my radar. I will check frequently.


    1. Solar powered lighting for them at night is a brilliant idea, commercially for the dairy as well as aesthetically.

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