Page 78 - British Blue 2025 Yearbook

SPOTLIGHT ON THE BRENNAND HERD OF
BRITISH BLUES
Often claimed to be at the centre of Great Britain, Brennand Farm, home to the Walker family, lies three miles from
the village of Dunsop Bridge, along a narrow track heading deep into the Trough of Bowland. Angela Calvert paid
them a visit.
The Walkers moved to the farm in 1970 where Geoff and
his wife, Margaret, now farm with their sons, Rob and John
and his family.
It spans 1,214 hectares (3,000 acres) and 25 years ago
they took on the neighbouring 1,214ha (3,000 acre)
Whitendale Farm with both owned by United Utilities.
With the farm at 198m (650ft) the land rises to 503m
(1650ft) at the top of the fell.
It comprises of 12ha (30 acres) of meadow, 202ha (500
acres) of rough in-bye grazing with the remainder heather
moorland and permanent grass. There are also a further
65ha (160 acres) in the valley which is used for making
big bale silage.
With numbers and breeds of livestock to a certain extent
determined by the topography of the land, the focus for
the family is producing the very best quality stock which
will achieve maximum returns.
Geoff says: “The aim is to maximise the potential of every
animal on the farm.”
The main sheep flock comprises of 1,400 Swaledale ewes,
60% per cent of which are kept pure to breed
replacements with the remainder put to Bluefaced
Leicester rams to breed North of England Mules. There is
also a small flock of pedigree Bluefaced Leicester ewes to
breed rams to use on the Swaledales.
A number of pedigree rams also sold with Bluefaced
Leicesters topping at £12,000 at Hawes and Swaledales
at £15,000 at Kirkby Stephen.
Rob says: “The Swaledale suits this farm. They do the job
as efficiently as any breed. They lamb outside from the end
of March and we have to have them below the water
catchment level at lambing time.
“This is a wet farm with 100 inches of rain a year and this
spring was particularly wet, but they coped well. They find
plenty of shelter under the walls and look after their
lambs.”
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