Ullswater and Glenridding, from Side Farm Our visit to Side Farm, Patterdale, took place on a beautiful August day, sandwiched between stormy weather on Saturday and Sunday evening. Robin, who farms at Side Farm and Beck Stones, had had to abort silage making because of downpours and he had been out in the darkness moving his sheep and cattle to drier ground. A bright and sunny day after heavy rain shows the Lake District to perfection. Up on Place Fell becks appeared out of nowhere and cascaded off the steep fell-side. Some of them appear only after heavy rain.
Up on Patterdale Common certain farms have common grazing rights, with sheep numbers specified to protect this moorland habitat.
A tasty lunch was provided by Fell and Dales Catering, Farmhouse Food for your special event. A bap with lamb and yogurt with mint and rocket leaves. Delicious.
The children’s eyes lit up to see Cheviot tups and Swaledale tups and to watch sheep shearing. The young farmer wore moccasins as he stepped deftly about the ewe, straddling her to hold her head firmly, taking care to keep her comfortable as he used electric shears to remove her fleece. Then he showed us clipping using traditional clipping shears. Bundles of fleeces lined the walls of the barn.
A tasty lunch was provided by Fell and Dales Catering, Farmhouse Food for your special event. A bap with lamb and yogurt with mint and rocket leaves. Delicious.
The children’s eyes lit up to see Cheviot tups and Swaledale tups and to watch sheep shearing. The young farmer wore moccasins as he stepped deftly about the ewe, straddling her to hold her head firmly, taking care to keep her comfortable as he used electric shears to remove her fleece. Then he showed us clipping using traditional clipping shears. Bundles of fleeces lined the walls of the barn.
Swaledale ewe being clipped by farmer in moccasins
Newly clipped horned Swaledale ewes with the wool clip bundled up against the barn wall.
The shearer applies a smit mark, the daub of red that shows the farmer at a glance it’s his sheep. And blue spray on the back to protect against fluke, ticks etc. And the bolus, the bullet-like pill they swallow again as a prophylactic. Sheep’s teeth: few people realise sheep have no teeth on the upper jaw.
The Cheviot tup, on the left, has small erect ears and no horns. The Swaledale tup, right, has impressive horns that sometimes need to be filed if they grow too close to the face.
We watched sheep being worked by a sheepdog. Robin commented that up on Patterdale Common he liked a dog with a degree of independence. Often he cannot see sheep or dog up there, so a dog that knows the fell and its hefted sheep can simply get on with the job. So sheep dogs are invaluable to the hill-farmer.
We watched sheep being worked by a sheepdog. Robin commented that up on Patterdale Common he liked a dog with a degree of independence. Often he cannot see sheep or dog up there, so a dog that knows the fell and its hefted sheep can simply get on with the job. So sheep dogs are invaluable to the hill-farmer.
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