John Orton, a 78-year-old retired telecommunications engineer, died from severe chest injuries after being “trampled by cattle” at Felbrigg Hall in Norfolk, an inquest heard.
Inquest Opens
An inquest into his death opened at Norfolk Coroner’s Court today. It heard Mr Orton died after being injured by animals at the National Trust estate on July 13.
Assistant coroner for Norfolk Maeve Sykes said, reading a statement from the coroner’s officer, that a post-mortem examination gave a provisional cause of death as “severe chest injuries due to having been trampled by cattle”.
Police Response
Police were called to the Felbrigg Hall estate at around 11.45am. Mr Orton died at the scene.
The hall, with parts that date from Tudor times, was bequeathed to the National Trust in 1969, and closed briefly after Mr Orton’s death.
Previous Tragedy
In 2007, an 11-year-old boy died when a branch fell on him during a school trip to the stately home. Daniel Mullinger, from Colchester, Essex, died when the 70ft timber crashed down from a 180-year-old beech tree in the Great Wood at Felbrigg.
The inquest into Mr Orton’s death has been adjourned until next year.
