best for REAL LIFE
Have you ‘herd’ the one about the friendly sheep that love cuddling up to humans? Wendy Gomersall had baa-rilliant fun in Cumbria
As we’d arrived at the field gate, buckets full of rattling sheep nuts in hand, the cloud of cotton wool balls gathered at the top of the hill turned, stared a bit, then raced towards us.
Who knew sheep could run so fast - or what cuddly critters they could be?
We’d travelled to a farm near Coniston, Cumbria, in Britain’s idyllic Lake District, to sample the extraordinary Herdwick Experience.
Over two or three hours, you learn all about sheep and sheep rearing, tour the farm, feed some fluffies tasty treats, then, most enchantingly, spend time among them, making friends and yes, even having a cheeky snuggle or two if you’re lucky.
Ewe’ll never believe it. It’s baarilliant fun, as I was to discover…
The venue, Yew Tree Farm, was once owned by writer, illustrator, scientist and conservationist Beatrix Potter, who bequeathed it to the National Trust. The handsome threebedroomed farmhouse starred in the 2006 film, Miss Potter, all about the author and starring Renée Zellweger and Ewan McGregor. It’s available as a gorgeous holiday let.
Beatrix Potter did much to promote the Herdwick breed and was the first woman to be elected president of the Herdwick Sheep Breeders Association, although sadly she passed away in 1943 before she could take up the post.
The farm is now run by Jon Watson and his wife, Jo McGrath, raising around 30 Belted Galloway cattle and 800 Herdwick sheep, a particularly attractive breed with sweet little ears, endearing faces and kind eyes – they really look like they’re smiling at you.
Herdwicks are uniquely born a different colour to their parents. Covered in jet-black wool, they take a year to replace this with snow-white hair on their face and legs and a full light grey double coat on their bodies. It’s a distinctive, famous feature and an evolutionary anomaly among domestic animals.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned
Yew Tree Farm’s animals roam freely over herb-rich pastures and fells on the 700-acre-plus estate, resulting in happy animals and prizewinning meat. However, not all of the farm’s smiley sheep have ended up as Sunday lunch…
It all started with Twink, explained Jo, who is also a renowned artist, creating beautiful print and photo portraits of Cumbria’s animals, wild and domesticated.
This particularly sheep, who’s 12-ish now, had hurt his leg, so Jo took him aside and cared for hi
