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 CONTENTS
A LANDSCAPE SHAPED BY
SHEEP
 Sheep
have grazed Cumbria's fellsides and pastures for hundreds
of years, maintaining the grassy swards and open fells much
loved by walkers. The familiar pattern of enclosed fields
in the valley bottoms, intake land on the lower slopes and
the open high fells is a direct result of sheep farming over
millennia. The drystone walls, sheep folds, drove roads and
farm steadings are all further evidence of how the landscape
has been modified to assist with the management of livestock.
Even unusual features such as pollarded ash trees are associated
with sheep farming - the leafy branches being regularly harvested
as supplementary feed. In effect, sheep are as much a part
of the Cumbrian landscape as the fells themselves.
This leaflet looks at hill sheep farming in the Fells and
Dales, focusing on the three main breeds that are associated
with Cumbria - the Herdwick, Rough Fell and the Swaledale
- and the quality local products they create.
Open fells, hefted flocks
The Land Enclosure Acts of the 18th and 19th centuries created
the patchwork of fields in the lowlands, but vast tracts of
the Cumbrian fells (about 300,000 acres) were left as unenclosed
common land. This provided a communal grazing resource, with
rights given to farmers to graze their sheep on individual
sections. On this open land it was important that the sheep
remained within a particular section of the fell, known as
a 'heaf'. Over time, and with diligent shepherding, this has
become learnt behaviour that is passed from ewe to lamb over
succeeding generations.
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In the late 1940s, a Borrowdale farmer
wrote of:
'the perseverance, patience, and hard
work involved in dividing these sheep into separate
flocks or stocks and "heafing" them on those
portions of ground belonging to the respective holdings.
One cannot help but admire these shepherds of the past
and doff one's hat to them for the great task they accomplished
in the days gone by.'
William Tyson, The
Herdwick Sheep, 1947
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 Sheep
raised on a particular section of the fells tend to regard
it as their home and will travel considerable distances to
get back to their 'heaf', if necessary. On some tenanted farms
there is a 'landlord's flock', which goes with the farm whenever
there is a change of tenant. This ensures that the fell continues
to be successfully grazed by its resident 'hefted' flocks
of sheep.
MANAGING FELL SHEEP
The sheep farming calendar has changed little over the years.
The 'year' starts with tupping in late autumn, followed by
lambing in spring, dipping and shearing in summer, then selling
of the older ewes and surplus lambs before 'tup time' comes
round again.
  Working
with nature is the key thing - though the weather can always
catch the farmer out. Lambing coincides with the arrival of
new spring growth. The wetter conditions and poorer terrain
of the western fells mean that lambing time is considerably
later on the Lake District farms than on the farms of the
Howgill and Orton fells and the Pennines. In spite of new
developments in veterinary medicines, improved nutrition and
farm technology, things are still recognisably as they have
been for centuries.
CHANGING TIMES
 In
the 2001 Foot and Mouth epidemic there were major losses of
fell sheep throughout the Lake District, on the east fellside
of the Pennines and on the Howgill fells. Since then, the
majority of farmers have been rebuilding their Swaledale,
Rough Fell and Herdwick flocks. However, in recent years,
sheep numbers on the fells have been cut under various agri-environment
schemes. This has raised some concerns that (together with
Foot and Mouth losses) this might lead to a breakdown of the
heafing system, which depends on there being adequate numbers
of sheep on the fells.
Until recently Cumbria has been a sheep exporting county
with very little stock being finished for the consumer. Increasingly,
however, breeders are seeking to 'add value' to their sheep
and to become more aware of the markets for their products,
among which are the need to sustain the landscape and provide
recreational access.
Hill farming has been supported financially for social as
well as economic reasons since the late 1940s. In 2005, production-based
support came to an end. Farmers no longer get subsidies for
the numbers of sheep and cattle they produce - instead they
increasingly receive support for managing the land in environmentally
sustainable ways. How this will affect farming in the fells
in the long term is far from clear.
IDENTIFYING FLOCK OWNERS
On open fells and common land, sheep identification is an
important issue. Farmers need to know which sheep belong to
them and which to their neighbours. The most common method
is through smit marks - daubs of colour applied to the fleece
along with distinctive cuts to the ears (lug marks): the combination
of both being unique to individual farms in local areas.
 Smit
was traditionally made of a thick grease coloured with haematite
or graphite, but nowadays proprietary marking fluids, capable
of being readily scoured from the wool, are used. The marks
are commonly 'strokes' or 'pops' and sometimes letters or
shapes such as crosses, swords or bugle horns. Ears are given
various incisions particular to individual farms. These ear
marks are still in widespread use, despite recent legislation
requiring sheep to have ear tags. Horns are sometimes branded
also. These sheep marks are passed down through the generations
and remain virtually unchanged over time. Young lambs are
given their flock marks before going to the fell with their
mothers.
These wool and earmarks are recorded in the Shepherds' Guides.
The first one for the Lake District was produced in 1817 and
there has been one more or less every 25 years since then.
Similar Guides exist for the eastern fells.
SHEPHERDS' MEETS
Before the era of the telephone and motorised transport the
business of returning stray sheep to their owners was communally
organised. Each fell area had their own shepherds' meets which
were held twice a year- in July for clipping time and in November
for tupping time. Stray sheep were gathered together to be
identified and claimed by their rightful owners. These meets
were also occasions for much socialising. They still go on
today even though their function of the returning of stray
sheep is much reduced.
FELL
SHEEP FARMING CALENDAR
(timings may vary according to altitude
and location) |
|
| Late Oct-Nov |
Tups put in with ewes on
fields near the far (in-bye land). |
| December |
Ewes taken to fells where
they generally stay until lambing time. |
| Late Mar/Apr |
Ewes brought down from
the fells for lambing. Lake District fell sheep tend to
lamb from mid-April to mid-May; eastern fells sheep lamb
in late March and in April. |
| May |
Lambs given their flock
marks. Ewes with single lambs put to the fell in May.
Ewes with twin lambs kept on the in-bye until sheared. |
| July |
Sheep shearing. Ewes with
twin lambs put to the fell. |
| September |
Lambs weaned; sheep dipped
to protect against parasites, ewes returned to fells if
young and fit enough. Older ewes 'drafted' (taken out)
from the fell flock and either sold or put to a lowland
tup. |
| October |
Wether lambs (castrated
males) either sold as 'stores' (for others to finish)
or fattened on the home farm and sold at between 6 and
12 months old. Tup sales begin. |
| November |
Gimmer lambs (young females)
sent away to winter on lowland farms. Returned at the
end of March to be put back to the fell to find their
'heaf'. They, in turn, will teach their own offspring
where to graze on the fell. |
CUMBRIAN FELL BREEDS
Sheep farming communities were for centuries highly localised
and remote from outside influences. They worked with their
local sheep, with distinct breeds only being developed from
the latter part of the 19th century.
The Herdwick, the Rough Fell and the Swaledale breeds have
been developed by communities over the years to suit local
circumstances, market forces and as an expression of their
own preferences. The Herdwick and Rough Fell are fairly localised
in their distribution, but the Swaledale is found widely throughout
the whole area.
Herdwick
 Herdwick
sheep are generally now found in the central and western dales
of the Lake District. But, originally, their range was much
greater than this, extending from Caldbeck in the north to
Low Furness in the south and stretching all the way to Shap
and Kentmere in the east.
The Herdwick is a particularly hardy sheep, capable of living
on the roughest terrain with scant vegetation and the country's
highest rainfall. The fleece is dense and dries out much more
quickly than the fleeces of other breeds. Herdwicks have a
distinctive grey fleece, white heads and sturdy legs. The
lambs are born largely black in colour, with their heads and
legs becoming white and their fleeces becoming lighter as
they age.
Although it has not been proven that the Herdwick is of
Scandinavian origin, there is no doubt that Viking settlers
from the 9th century were great keepers of sheep in the fells.
The name derives from 'herd-vik' (Old Norse for 'sheep farm')
and later became associated with the breed itself.
Herdwick meat is famous for its eating quality, a fact that
has been borne out by taste trials at Bristol University.
Some Herdwick producers have developed their own farm-based
marketing schemes, and the Herdwick Sheep Breeders' Association
has established 'Lakeland Herdwick Direct'. An application
is being made to the European Union for 'Lakeland Herdwick'
to be granted Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status,
so that inferior meats cannot be passed off as Herdwick.
 The
fleece is of exceptionally low value for woollen fabrics.
However, a recent initiative between Goodacre Carpets of Kendal
and the National Trust has produced some attractive and hard-wearing
carpets that are proving successful.
The National Trust owns a considerable number of fell farms
in the central and western dales which have important 'landlord'
flocks of Herdwick sheep. Beatrix Potter was a strong supporter
of Herdwick sheep and left a number of Herdwick farms to the
National Trust to keep in perpetuity, as did other benefactors
such as Professor G.M Trevelyan and Lake District Farm Estates.
There are about 150 farms, including privately owned ones,
which breed Herdwick sheep in commercial numbers.
Rough Fell
These are the sheep of the 'rough fells' of old Westmorland
and the western part of the Yorkshire Dales. Centred on the
limestone and Silurian rocks of the Howgill and Orton fells,
the land is measurably drier than the central Lakeland fells
and is able to support a larger sheep. The breed was primarily
kept within a twenty mile radius of Kendal, hence the breed's
alternative name the 'Kendal Rough'.
The breed developed from the Blackfaced Heath sheep of the
central Pennines and was first recognised as a distinct type
from the mid 19th century. As well as being bred pure, Rough
Fells were often mated with Wensleydale or Teeswater tups
to produce a 'Masham' type of crossbred. The genetic make-up
of the Rough Fell may have been influenced by the Herdwick
and by the Silverdale (a horned breed of the limestone areas
round Morecambe Bay, which became extinct by the First World
War).
 It
is one of the biggest mountain sheep in Britain with a full
white fleece and distinctive patchy face. The Rough Fell was
originally bred to supply wool for the carpet industry of
Kendal, as the wool is long in the staple (length of the wool
fibres), white and free from kemp. Woollen products made from
Rough Fell are produced at Farfield Mill, Garsdale Road, near
Sedbergh.
Rough Fell lamb is proving to be popular with caterers because
of its larger meat yield. It is available from Orton Farmers'
Market and directly from some of the farms in the area. There
is a proposal to apply for Protected Designation of Origin
status for Kendal Rough Fell lamb.
 Over
the past few years Rough Fell breeders have increasingly recognised
the special feature of their sheep: namely its connection
with the distinctive landscape and culture of their area.
A video, "Rough Fell Heritage", celebrates the life,
work and landscape of the Rough Fell sheep farming community.
The Rough Fell Sheep Breeders' Association was established
in 1926 and is organised into three districts: 'K' = Kendal,
'S' = Sedbergh and Kirkby Lonsdale and 'T'= Tebay, Orton and
Ravenstonedale.
Swaledale
 Swaledales
have proved to be very adaptable hill sheep due to their relative
hardiness and good mothering abilities. There are now an estimated
2,500,000 Swaledale sheep in the country, largely in the northern
uplands of England where they have often displaced other local
breeds.
The Swaledale Sheep Breeders' Association was established
in the early 1920s by sheep farmers who lived within a seven
mile radius of the Tan Hill Inn (near where the counties of
North Yorkshire, Durham and Cumbria meet). An important gathering
of Swaledale sheep and their breeders still takes place in
mid May at Tan Hill.
Of the 1200 pedigree flocks nationally, about a third are
in Cumbria. These flocks produce tups for the many commercial
Swaledale flocks in Cumbria and beyond. Kirkby Stephen is
famous for its Swaledale tup sales which take place in mid-October.
A Swaledale Centre is being built at Kirkby Stephen auction
mart where there will be events for the general public and
a viewing gallery for the sheep sales.
'The Swaledale made the Mule and the Mule made the
Swaledale'
 The
Swaledales have also been responsible for producing the most
numerous sheep of the lowlands - the North of England Mule.
By using tups of the Bluefaced Leicester breed on Swaledale
ewes, crossbred lambs of great hybrid vigour and commercial
potential are produced. Swaledale genetics, therefore, influence
a significant part of the national sheep population.
The sales of Mule gimmer lambs at auction marts
all over the northern uplands of England are impressive sights.
In and around the Fells and Dales there are important sales
at Kirkby Stephen, Lazonby, Penrith, Wigton, Cockermouth,
Kendal and Ulverston. These 'mules' are bought by lowland
farms where they are mated with lowland breeds such as Suffolks
and Texels to produce lambs for the table.
Recently some Swaledale breeders have carried out marketing
trials of their purebred Swaledale lambs for the catering
trade, and attempts are being made through selective breeding
to increase the meat yield from Swaledale wether lambs.
SHOWS AND EVENTS
Agricultural Shows
Virtually all the local agricultural shows have classes for
hill sheep. The Westmorland County Agricultural Show, Kendal
(2nd Thursday in September) usually has good turnouts of the
three Cumbrian hill breeds as well as many lowland breeds.
The Eskdale Show on the last Saturday in September is the
most important of all the Herdwick Shows, but there are good
turnouts of Herdwick sheep particularly at Ennerdale (last
Wednesday in August), Loweswater (third Thursday in September)
and Borrowdale Shepherds' Meet and Show ( third Sunday in
September).
There are classes for Rough Fells at the following shows:
Ravenstonedale, Appleby, Brough, Kirkby Lonsdale, Sedbergh,
Grayrigg. Greenholme, Cartmel, Hawkshead and Burton.
The best summer shows for Swaledale sheep in the Fells and
Dales area are Appleby, Brough, Dufton and Hesket Newmarket.
The Mungrisdale Swaledale Sheep Show takes place in mid-May.
Tup Sales
- Cockermouth:
Herdwicks (Saturday following the Broughton sale), Mitchells'
Auction, Cockermouth.
Tel. 01900 822016.
- Kendal:
Rough Fells (third Saturday in October).
For details contact the Rough Fell Sheep Breeders' Association.
- Kirkby Stephen:
Swaledales (on the third Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
of October).
Auctioneer Harrison and Hetherington. Tel. 017683 71385.
USEFUL CONTACTS
Herdwick Sheep Breeders' Association
Secretary: Geoff Brown, c/o The Old Stables, Redhills, Penrith,
Cumbria, CA11 0DT
Tel: 01768 869533.
Website: www.herdwick-sheep.com
Rough Fell Sheep Breeders' Association
Secretary: Pauline Tyson, Weasdale Farm, Newbiggin on Lune,
Kirkby Stephen CA17 4LY
Tel: 015396 23238
Website: www.roughfellsheep.co.uk
Swaledale Sheep Breeders' Association
Secretary "C" District: W.Buckle, Bleathgill, Barras,
Kirkby Stephen
Tel: 017683 41825
Website: www.swaledale-sheep.com
North of England Mule Sheep Association
Website: www.nemsa.co.uk
GETTING AROUND
For details on public transport, please contact Traveline
on 08700 608 2608.
Email: info@traveline-cumbria.co.uk.
Website: www.traveline.org.uk.
CREDITS
Produced by Anna Gray for Leader+ (Cumbria Fells & Dales)
Text by Geoff Brown
Designed by Andrew Lathwell Design Ltd.
Layout by Eden Graphics
Illustrated by Juliet Whitworth.
Printed by Reeds of Penrith, 2005.
Front cover photographs by Glyn Satterley and Wayne Hutchinson.
Other photographs supplied by Wayne Hutchinson, Hilary Wilson,
Ian Brodies, Peter Koronka, Dorothy Wilkinson and Cumbriaphoto.
LEADER+ (Cumbria Fells & Dales)
The Old Stables,
Redhills,
Penrith,
Cumbria,
CA11 0DT
Tel: 01768 869533
Email: info@fellsanddales.org.uk
Website: www.fellsanddales.org.uk
This is one of a series of themed trails being produced
by LEADER+ (Cumbria Fells & Dales) to promote the area
and its local products.
Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the content
of this trail is accurate and up to date at the time of writing,
no liability can be accepted for any errors, omissions or
misrepresentations of fact contained herein.
 
This project is being part financed by the European Agriculture
Guidance adn Guarantee Fund of the European Union and the
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs through
the Cumbria Fells and Dales LEADER+ Programme.
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