Caroline's passion for Swaledale sheep and farming in the uplands

A Teesdale hill farm is a beautiful place to visit, but managing sheep and cattle in this environment can be challenging. However, Caroline Colling is perfectly contented with her lot, as she explained to Wendy Short

Hield House, at Holwick, is a 2,000-acre (including the fell) Strathmore Estate holding which covers some of the most rugged terrain in our dale.
It is the family farm of Caroline’s parents, Richard and Madeleine Walton, and she has worked on the farm with her father on a day-to-day basis for the past several years. She is also employed on a casual basis on a farm near Brough, as well as being  secretary of the Swaledale Sheep Breeders Association ‘A’ District (SSBA).
Every morning, Caroline makes the short journey to the farm from her home in Lunedale, which she shares with her husband, Andrew, an electrician. He is an enthusiastic farm “helper”, along with his two daughters, Ellie, 16, and Lucy, ten, who visit at the weekends and also enjoy working with the ‘Blackrigg’ flock of 350 Swaledale ewes, despite not coming from a farming background. Caroline herself has farming roots which go a way back and some will remember her late great grandfather, Arthur Dowson, who was a cattle dealer based at Mickleton.
Over winter, hay is taken out to the older and fitter in-lamb ewes on the allotment and is also fed to ewes carrying twins, which are brought inside after Christmas. Hard feed is not offered until one month before lambing, which starts around April 10 and takes place on the 165 acres of in-bye land, with an average percentage rate of 140.
Post-lambing, the ewes are split into groups according to lamb numbers and those with singles return to the fell in early May, while ewes with twins are moved to the allotment. Regular checking is all that is required until July 10-12, when the flock is gathered for clipping. Outside help is brought in for this task.
The selling period for finished lambs, which go either to Kirkby Stephen or Middleton-in-Teesdale auction marts, starts in October and individuals which need additional finishing are brought inside in November. Concentrates are offered during this period, with the aim of getting all of the lambs away by Christmas, to free up the buildings for the pregnant ewes. The farm also carried 18 cross-bred suckler cows, whose progeny is sold as stores. Breeding gimmer lambs are sold in September.
The farmstead has breathtaking views and the surrounding land boasts one of the largest juniper forests in England, with about 100 trees. However, the stunning scenery attracts large numbers of ramblers on the footpaths and it is common to find that closed gates are left open, creating a lot of extra work for the family.
Caroline is keen to give credit to the late 18th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne whom she describes as a “very decent man”.
“Lord Strathmore had a great interest in the farm and he added me as a successor to the tenancy, which was a very kind gesture and certainly something that he didn’t have to do. As far as I’m aware, the estate had never done this before – it was extremely good of him and I will always appreciate his thoughtfulness,” she says.
“I am the only one of the siblings who has followed in my father’s footsteps. My sister, Helen, is a solicitor in Newcastle and her twin Rebecca is a special needs teaching assistant who still lives nearby in Middleton-in-Teesdale. It is quite fortunate, because the farm could not support all three of us and so taking on the farm naturally fell to me, which suits me very well.”

SHOW AND SALE PRICES
LIKE most other farmers, Caroline and her family are always short of time and they only attend the Eggleston, Bowes and High Force shows with sheep.
Their most significant achievement to date came in 2015, when they took the overall championship at Eggleston with a gimmer shearling. They were also delighted when one of their tups was knocked down at £4,000 at Middleton tup sale and have since had a couple at £2,500. Roughly half a dozen tups are selected each year for the sales.

‘A’ DISTRICT SECRETARY
THE role of secretary to the SSBA A District is an important one and Caroline has been in post for six years. 
It is a seasonal appointment, with the main task being the inspection of tups put forward for registration, she explains.
“I work as part of a team of three to view and crown all of the eligible tups for that year,” she says. “They are mainly shearlings, although we are occasionally asked to inspect a tup lamb or an aged tup.  The work starts in early September and it takes some time to arrange for the two ‘crowners’ and the farmer to all get together at the same time.
“It is unusual for an animal to be rejected for crowning, because our members have a clear idea of the type that is required.”
Caroline also handles the membership list for her district, attends committee meetings and assists with the organisation of the tup sale at Middleton-in-Teesdale auction mart. She also organises the district’s March AGM, which marks the end of her association work commitments until the autumn.
“The secretary position has been useful for acquiring more knowledge and it is interesting to visit other farms and see how the livestock are managed,” she comments. “In general, the association is looking for a correct tup, but opinion varies and some of the breeders prioritise black and white, while others are mostly occupied with size and power. It is a good job that we are all looking for something slightly different, as otherwise variation would be lacking and it would be impossible to fulfil our personal preferences when we go to the sales.
 “As an association, our membership and flock numbers are increasing and we have members who live as far away as Devon and Ireland and travel up to the area buy our Swaledales. It is often said that there are too few young people coming into farming, but we have plenty coming forward and they are all extremely keen, so I have no doubt that the future of the breed is secure.”

QUICK-FIRE QUESTIONS
How many hours do you work in an average week?
I normally work seven days a week, so it’s probably about 60, although I hate to think what it adds up to at lambing time.
What aspect of the job do you like the most?
I enjoy lambing and never get tired of it. Lambs are the fruits of our labour all through the bad weather in the winter. It’s always exciting, to see how a new tup has performed.
And the least? The wind and the rain.
The career that you would have chosen as an alternative?  There isn’t anything I’d rather do than farm, although I would quite like to have been a vet.
The prized possession that you value the most? My seven-year-old sheepdog, Jess. I would find it hard to manage the sheep without her. But she has a quirky personality; she doesn’t like strangers and she won’t work alongside any other dog, as she gets jealous. As a team we struggle sometimes, especially when she’s convinced that she knows best.
The person who has had the most influence on you? Two people, my dad and also my late grandad, Jack, who taught me all sorts of useful things like how to drive and how to shoot rabbits.