I would not go into a field with cows after narrowly escaping serious injury by escaping over a barbed wire fence. My husband and our two dogs were walking through a field near Ravenstonedale when cows and a bull came charging towards us and even though we let our dogs off the lead, they wouldn't leave us. We didn't see the beasts because the field was L shaped. I am convinced that we would have been killed. If the farmer had put a warning notice on the stile into the field, we would not have entered. Doesn't the farmer have any responsibility ?

Cows will be cows and they see the dogs as a threat! The responsibility lies with the dog walker. Enter the field with your dog at your own risk. What's a farmer supposed to do? Never put cows in a field that might be crossed by someone with a dog?

It's generally the dogs that upset cows. It's best not to take them in fields with cows in

I will walk back the way I came to avoid cow's. Got chased once that was enough for me .

If the farmer puts aggresive cows/stirks/heifers/bull or any combination thereof in a field crossed by a public right of way then he knows he is putting people at risk, if someone gets hurt then a prosecution should follow

I think it would be useful to know exactly where these
incidents take place and walkers can be forewarned/prepared.
I was leading a small D of E group (special needs) on the
Hadrian's Wall Path near Brampton several years ago and we were attacked by cows (we had no dogs but there were calves) - I managed to fend them off with a rush of adrenaline and a swinging rucksack - might appear funny in retrospect but later in the year the same herd trampled another pupil doing D of E from a local school, resulting in injuries.
Some herds/breeds seem more aggressive then most, if a farmer knows this, then a warning sign is surely the least he can do.

Does any body know which farm this happened on as I walk the area regularly with my dogs and would like to avoid this field

I used to cycle along a cycle route which went through a field of cows. Initially I was quite wary of them, but they got so used to me that they wouldn't even move off the path to let me past. I've heard they are more dangerous than bulls though, because bulls put their head down and charge in a straight line, but cows look where they are going when they chase you.

Dogs are seen by cows (beasts) as their mortal enemy, instinct embedded through their history. So they will attack the dog usually and not you,the worst thing you can do is pick the dog up !

I worked on farms in my youth and have never been attacked by cows, they can be very curious (inquisitive) but generally not dangerous.