The Durham Shorthorn is the most widely distributed bred of cattle at home or abroad. During the last quarter of the eighteenth century Charles Colling (1751-1836), and his brother Robert (1749-1820), improved their cattle at Ketton and Barmpton, near Darlington, and all modern shorthorns are descended from these animals. Their famous Durham Ox was bred at Ketton in 1796; well-known as a massive beast, it was taken by its owner John Day round the country between 1801 and 1807 to be displayed at agricultural shows. The celebrated ox, of which many pictures were painted, weighed some 220 stones. Much of this was fat of course, but animal fat was a very valuable product at that time. The two Collings lie together in the churchyard at Heighington.
It is interesting that Northumbrian farmers regarded the huge timber-built storage barns of the southern counties as 'very unsightly' and unnecessary. They developed perfectly satisfactory methods of stacking the corn harvest in an open yard until it was time for threshing.