Walna Scar Shepherds Meet 2014

Another year and another Shepherds Meet. First weekend in November is when this particular meet is held. It varies in venue from three areas which provide the Heaf. A heaf is the area of fellside that is remembered by the Herdwick sheep. When sheep stray onto a neighbour's heaf, they are gathered and returned at the “Meet". Well that’s what used to happen before the days of Land Rover and trailers.

Today it’s about showing your best stock, winning the coveted silverware, having good crack, (that’s slang for chatting btw), downing a few beers and maybe settling an old score or two.

Sheila and i help out as best we can and give something back to the local’s who have contributed to us enjoying the area so much. We helped man the gates, relieving folk of a few quid upon entry to the event.

Friday night we arrived at The Newfield Inn in Seathwaite which had a Halloween Party going in full swing. It was 18 degrees C outside and with the pub being very full the heat was almost unbearable.
It was nice to chat with so many locals and to see them enjoying the event.

Saturday we headed off to Torver where the Meet was to take place. Usually the HQ is The Church House pub but it has now closed down. The village hall took on the hordes for lunch and The Wilson’s Arms took on the evening event of Singing, poetry reading and of course the beer swilling.

Cloud over Old Man of Coniston from Broughton Moor.

On the event field the Shepherds were having their Herdwick’s and Swaledales judged and had made an early start. Later the hound trail folk arrived for their racing day. Alan Linnet had a display of photographs of past Meets and there was also a Pet competition as well as a Shepherds crook judging. The homemade cakes and biscuits, tea and coffee all went down well as did the lunch provided by The chef and staff from The Wilsons.

Weather wise we were lucky. We had a heavy shower in the morning and then one which included hail later in the afternoon but for the best part it was fine. The later one had some running for cover but as is the norm the Shepherds and the sheep carried on in the sousing rain as though it didn’t matter.

List of winners and categories will be published. TBA

Here are a few photo’s from the event field and surrounding countryside.

 Swaledales.

 Anthony Hartley and Andrew Birkett and Herdwick's, Turner Hall Farm Seathwaite.

 A trio of Herdwick tups

 Showing Swaldales. (David Cooper fence dancing)

 The Old Man of Coniston

 Shepherd’s crook

 Trophy stall

 Showing and Judging.

 The pet competition

 Overall Herdwick Champion. Glen Wilkinson from Tilberthwaite.

 By hook or by crook

 Just Champion Herdwick

Harter Fell in Mist from The Cross.

Walna Scar shepherds meet 2013.

This years Shepherds Meet event was held on Saturday 2nd November 2013 at Seathwaite in the Duddon Valley, Cumbria.
Its an event we really enjoy and it gives us a chance to have a chat, a laugh and a joke with the local farmers and the numerous friends we have made there over the last 30 yrs.
We had been invited to stay with friends Tina and Alan for the weekend.
Friday night saw us at Nick's Italian in Gosforth, again renewing acquaintances from where Sheila's mam lived before moving down to Manchester. We had an excellent meal, it was a busy night and the staff did well.
Saturday morning Tina and Alan were up early as they are part of the organising team. Licences have to be filled in regarding the moving of livestock and this takes quite so time.
Alan was helping the get the big marquee tent up and sort out the historical picture boards that portray the event from years past.

By 10.00am when we made it into the field most things had been done. Alan was in position on the gate.
The sheep were in the pens and the farmers were having a last brew huddled under the tent whilst the first of many heavy cloud bursts made its presence.
At about 10.20am it was decided to get things underway whilst the rain had eased just a little.

There are basically two breeds of sheep in this region, Herdwick and Swaledales. The farmers show their stock to the judges and they decide who has the best. Judges are usually from neighbouring valleys. There are lots of classes to judge and its all very serious.

Here are a few of the classes that I can remember so that you can appreciate how complicated it can be.

Shearling.
Three aged ewes.
Two gimmer lambs.3 sheep in natural colour.
Tup and gimmer lamb bred by the exhibitor.
Male and female bred by exhibitor.
Female champion.
Best group of sheep.
Overall champion.
And there's more.

Most of the morning the weather was mixed between heavy showers, light rain and gusty wind. We paid quite a bit of time drinking coffee to warm up and dashing out during the calmer moments to take some photo's.

A very rare and unusual double twist horned Herdwick tup

A couple of the young farmers were debating about the coarse for the hound trailing event. The clag  was down quite low and the route which was to go between Caw and White Pike was engulfed in the white stuff and it most most miserable. Anyway the coarse was set. Hardy souls these guys.

Lunch for exhibitors is a set menu so we decided to get ours out of the way before they all came in. The Newfield Inn being host for lunch.

Just after the event resumed we had a tremendous down pour. The most severe so far. Then we had a hail storm. The event just carried on but a lot of the visitors and hound trailers departed to the pub. We stayed out to show the farmers we were supporting them.
The wind picked up, the leaves were being snapped off the trees and it was getting a touch wild. The sheep were shaking themselves to get rid of the excess water and the farmers in their oil skin type suits were looking a bit washed out.

Then an almighty gust of wind lifted the marquee tent clean up in the air about 10ft and deposited it upside down on the other side of a barbed wire fence. Myself and a number of others ran to help but the wind picked it up again and carried it clean over another barbed wire fence.
All the items which had been inside the tent were now being spoiled. The photograph boards, the numerous cakes, tea and coffee etc.
Eventually we caught hold of this 1 ton tent and managed to wrestle it into submission. It was disassembled and folded away in about 2 minutes. Luckily it seemed to be undamaged.

There was some doubt now if the kids pet show would be held but between the showers it was held and somehow every enterent won something. Great.
The hand made crooks were judged and prizes awarded and then the hound trail was underway.

This always causes lots of excitement as the owners wait with binoculars pointed into the high fells to see them first appear.
You can hear the barking long before you see them and as they approach the finish the owners whistles and the shaking of the food tubs seems quite manic.
Then there is always the last one, the one that has gone astray. The owner standing on his own staring into the gloom for any trace of his hound. Minutes pass by and still nothing, then 10 minutes. Eventually someone spots it working its way slowly down the gullies and over the rocky outcrops. The whistling and shaking of the food tub starts again until the hound is back safely.

The surrounding hillsides disappear again and it goes black. Were in for it now a farmer shouts and almost instantly we are in a deluge. The rain was bouncing. The last few prizes were handed out within the cocopheny of the storm. Sheila decided she had had enough and so I told her to go and get inside. Towards Harter Fell the lightening was strieking followed by the almost immediate thunder clap. Again and again the bang was being ricocheted around the hill tops and the rain fell like stair rods.
Fortunately I was wearing my Brenig smock, not the Aran but the one with the aluminium lining. Its performance was nothing short of miraculous. In my blog post about this smock I said that it may not be suited to UK conditions for backpacking but would be suitable for more sedatory tasks such as marshalling, outdoor instructing etc and this event has proved it to me that this is the best waterproof I have ever worn.

The smiling winner of overall champion Anthony Hartley

Despite the weather and eventually being driven indoors we thoroughly enjoyed being here. Its so fulfilling to be a part of the community on this weekend.
In the evening there is much singing and story telling as well as lots of great crack or gossip depending on what part of the country you are from.

Once again our thanks to Tina and Alan for inviting us.

Note!
During the day I managed to speak to Steven Gorse, who farms at Hoses near Broughton Mills. I did a post last year when he had decided to start up a new camping site and i know a few of you stayed there.
He has now decided that this venture is not for him BUT, if any backpackers still want to use his fields for an overnight stop then he is more than happy to allow it. Just call at the farm and make yourself known.  Thanks Steven, that's very much appreciated.

Walna Scar shepherd's meet Nov 2012

 Friday night, driving from Seathwaite to Gosforth for a meal at Nicks place The Wild Olive it was chucking it down. We were staying with friends in Seathwaite and Alan (Not me), said he would drive and as he has a new 4x4 it made light work of the flooded sections we encountered en route over Birker fell.
 It’s always a good meal here. In my opinion any way. The menu had changed since our last visit earlier in the year and i was a little disappointed that the Sangiovese beef was not available. I had roast Salmon which was very nice.
 Post meal we had a couple of drinks in Gosforth Hall just to say hi to old friends. Then we headed back to Seathwaite and an early-ish night preparing for the Shepherds Meet tomorrow.
 Saturday morning. Looking from our bedroom window we can usually see Grey Friar above the trees. Today it was completely clagged over and although it was just spitting with rain it did look promising.
This opinion changed as we went over Kiln Bank Cross on the way to Broughton Mills where this years Meet was being held. It started to snow.

Top of the Kiln Bank Cross with the footpath up to Stickle Pike. And below is Stickle Pike.

 Our job at the event was to help out on the gate relieving folks of £3 a head for adults and children were free. It was compulsary to have one at least.
 The field where the stock pens had been set up was very wet with the torrential rain that the area had seen during the past few days and weeks. But it’s a very beautiful valley and pleasantly the sun came out. Well in spells anyway.

The Blacksmiths Arms Broughton Mills. Adjacent to the show field.

The pub provided a lovely lunch of Tattie Pot and red cabbage followed by Sticky Toffee Pud for everybody. 

As with all farming communities there are many characters and it’s great to listen to the tales and old Cumbrian dialect that most still use. It can be quite hard to get the jist of the conversation if your not used to hearing it spoken. 

 In between gate duties we did manage to get some photographs of the showing and judging of the two main sheep breeds, which in these parts are Swaledales pronounced Swardul and Herdwicks pronounced Herdwick. Well it would be wouldn’t it.

 During the day the weather was changeable, sunny, drizzle, rain, sleet and snow. So normal really.

A snowy rainbow was seen across the fields but unfortunately it wasn’t a snowbow.

 The sheep which had been washed and brushed prior to the show were now getting a bit muddy but i managed to capture a few shots of the cleaner ones.

Many rosettes are awarded for individual classes such as 3 aged ewes, Shearlings, pair of gimmer lambs, 3 sheep in natural colour, Tup and gimmer lamb and many more.

 As well as the sheep showing, folks can also enjoy the highly contested hound trailing, the pets competition and shepherds crook making.
 Photographs of previous meetings can be viewed in the refreshment tent where tea, coffee and cakes can be had.
 The decision of the champions champion, that is the best Herdwick against the best Swaledale went to Glen Wilkinson of Tilberthwaite with his fine Herdwick.

Glen Wilkinson with his Champion Herdwick

 In the evening the Blacksmith’s hosts the singing competition and also some poetry is read. Excellent cask conditioned ales are purveyed and a good night it was too.

 Thanks to Tina and Alan for putting up with us over the weekend and thanks to all who made the show such a pleasure to be part of.

More photo’s of the days events can be seen here.

Walna Scar Shepherds meet. Cumbria

What a stunning weekend in Cumbria. With a clear cloudless blue sky and the superb autumnal colours it was every outdoor persons dream weekend.

Top of the Park Head track looking at Harter Fell (left) and Bowfell  (just right of centre).

Sheila and i were invited to spend a weekend with friends Tina and Alan in Seathwaite, Duddon Valley.


The agenda included a 4 course dinner cooked by Amanda at the Coffee shop in Ulpha followed by an evenings entertainment at the BrowFoot Rooms, also in Ulpha, with a French female singer, guitarist and comedienne Flossy Malavialle.
Saturday was Walna Scar Shepherds Meet with lunch and entertainment in the evening.
Entertainment Itinerary at the Brow Foot Room.


Although we had not heard of Flossy before it was a thoroughly enjoyable evening with the house full and plenty of beer and wine flowing. She is an English teacher who came to England on a teacher swop in 2002 from the South of France.
  She said that it wasn’t difficult to find people to swop with her and live in the South of France. However she ended up in Darlington. Life can be tough.
That more or less finished her English teaching career in France,  because now her English language includes colloquialisms for example “I ain’t dunit like” and Yerr Right Like.
All her sentences now end with the word “Like”.


Thanks must go to everybody involved for a really good night.


Saturday we were going to Torver near Coniston for the local shepherds “Meet”.  We have been going to this event for many years. It is good day out especially with the wonderful weather this year and the evenings entertainment which is mainly a sing song by the farmers was a little quieter than usual.
 Most of the singers are from the older generation and it would seem that the younger ones are not as keen to keep the singing tradition going. It would be a shame if this part of the day came to an end.


What is the Shepherds Meet?
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 and the meets were also occasions for much socialising. 

Shepherds’ Meets today mostly take the form of a traditional agricultural show and/or social occasion.  Their function of returning stray sheep is much reduced but still occurs, usually agreed over the phone and picked up by the owners by trailer. 

There is also hound trailing events.

The Walna Scar Meet rotates between The Newfield Inn  Duddon Valley, The Blacksmiths Inn Broughton Mills and the Church House Inn in Torver.

The Church House Inn is 15th century and lies in the shadow of the Old Man of Coniston which today was looking close and clear. It still has the open fires and many original rustic features.

Good cask beers are served and the food is excellent although in my opinion it is a bit pricey. Restaurant prices in a pub setting.

There is also a decent campsite adjacent to the pub.

 The Old Man of Coniston

The Church House Inn

Here are some photographs i took from this years Meet.

The breeds of sheep in this area are predominantly Herdwick and Swaledale. The overall champion of show was won by my old mate Anthony Hartley from Turner Hall Farm. That’s him in the 4th picture, on the left with Andrew Birkett on the right. They are showing Herdwick Tupps.

 On leaving the show we drove back to Seathwaite via the top fell road and i took a few more photographs.

Overnight the clear skies resulted in the temperatures falling rapidly. The gauge in the car on the way back from the evening social was showing 2.5 ℃. This morning the grassy areas in the shade was covered in a layer of white. It looked beautiful. The first for me this year.

 Wallowbarrow Crag.

 Grey Friar can just be made out in the background.

A cold and hungry visitor.

Thanks to Alan and Tina and all at the Shepherds’ Meet and Ulpha for a wonderful weekend.
The entire album of pictures can be found here