Herdwick

I have often asked myself what it is about the herdwick breed I admire so much?

Perhaps it is their soul-searching eyes or their friendly white faces. Of one thing I am sure, however: Herdwicks make great subjects for my camera, each one a character with a host of expressions calculated to turn the casual observer into a lifelong fan. They certainly wove their way into my heart and I quickly learnt that, without them, the Lake District we all love, owes everything to the little grey sheep and their shepherds who still ply their ancient trade by tending to their needs and keep.

Holding the stony wastes, their countenance evoke the Lakeland heartlands of Wasdale, Eskdale, Buttermere, Borrowdale and Langdale. The stoic Herdwick always looks right at home, hefted in those high mountains, grey of wool, heads braced against harsh winter winds.

My work, my legacy? The Herdwick gave me all the inspiration I ever needed to tell my story and help create, what I hoped for; the most beautiful and thoughtful book the Lake District has ever seen. I sincerely hope that through this body of work that they will also weave their way into your life as well.

A career highlight worth celebrating with a heartfelt foreword from Clarence House.

I was humbled by the contribution made by His Royal Highness, Prince Charles, to Herdwick. His thorough understanding of the challenges and opportunities presented by Herdwick fell farming is evidenced in his foreword. To have my work so warmly recognised by a gentleman who clearly has a piece of Lakeland in his heart is a great honour. The following year we shared a memorable private viewing of my major solo exhibition at Rheged, Cumbria.

(Excerpts from foreword, Herdwick - A Portrait of Lakeland)

‘Through the stunning photographs, the interconnectedness of the Herdwick sheep with those who manage and care for them and with the Fells of the Lake District is explained more succinctly than a book of a thousand pages. The Herdwick, like those who farm them, are of the hardiest stock. Together, they exist in perhaps the most challenging, yet beautiful, scenery in England and this book is a testament to this very special relationship of man, animal and Nature. Both are ‘hefted’ to that most evocative of landscapes.’

‘I pray that this book will not only bring great enjoyment and pleasure to those who love the Lake District, but will also help change perceptions of what is truly valuable and so create an understanding that the Herdwick carries on its back not just the history of the Fells, but its future too.’

Beatrix Potter, writer, had been almost totally replaced by Beatrix Heelis, farmer.

When she moved from London to Lakeland it completely changed her life. She fell in love with Herdwicks and devoted the last part of her life to protecting them. I’ve spent five years photographing them with the same objective.

With three successful careers, she was a storyteller, a prize-winning breeder of Herdwick sheep and a visionary conservationist. More than 4000 acres of land and eight hill-farms in the Lake district have been preserved because of her efforts - AND the money earned by Peter, Jemima and Samuel Whiskers. Her legacy to farming, to the Lake District, and to the Herdwick breed in particular, is immeasurable in every way.

Hidden in the valleys and dale-heads, my photographic work uncovers the preserved magic of her farms at Penny Hill, Eskdale, Yew Tree, Coniston, Troutbeck Park and of course Hill Top, Far Sawrey. Special places where an ancient cycle of farming has continued virtually unchanged for centuries.