A 78-year-old man died after being “trampled by cattle” at a National Trust estate, an inquest has heard.
John Orton died after being injured by animals at Felbrigg Hall in Norfolk on July 13.
On Friday, an inquest into his death opened at Norfolk Coroner’s Court and heard Mr Orton was a retired telecommunications engineer.
A post-mortem examination had given a provisional cause of death as “severe chest injuries due to having been trampled by cattle”, assistant coroner for Norfolk Maeve Sykes said, reading a statement from the coroner’s officer.
Police said they had been called to the Felbrigg Hall estate at around 11.45am that day and Mr Orton died at the scene.
The hall, with parts that date from Tudor times, was bequeathed to the National Trust in 1969.
It closed briefly after Mr Orton’s death.
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 an 180-year-old beech tree in the Great Wood at Felbrigg.
The inquest into Mr Orton’s death has been adjourned until next year.
A Health and Safety Executive spokesperson said: “We are now leading the investigation into the death of John Orton.
“Our thoughts remain with his friends and family at this difficult time.”
