Sedbergh Sheepfest & Rheged Herdwicks • Walking the Cumbrian Mountains

Name of walk	Sedbergh Sheepfest & Rheged Herdwicks
Date of walk	2016-09-22

On Thursday Tom and I went to Sedbergh to see the Sheepfest. Now in its third year, Sheepfest is organised by textile arts venue, Farfield Mill, to celebrate the town’s rich wool industry heritage. This year’s theme was book titles and characters. We would then go in search of a ‘White Walker’ at Farfield Mill and in the afternoon visit The Rheged Centre to see all the ‘Go Herdwick’ Public Art Trail sheep in one place.

We parked on Busk Lane next to Sedbergh School's Chapel.

Then we turn left alongside the school for the short walk to the church. Sedburgh School is a public school founded in 1525.

'Alice in Wonderland' depicted in a shop window.

St. Andrew's Church.

On the right was 'Captain Corelli's Mandolin'. On the left 'Corn'ewe'copia'

Unfortunately I have forgotten some of the books the sheep were representing, this is one of them!

The 'Wind in the Willows'

Bell ringers!

'Once Upon a Time' tree made by local primary school pupils.

'Moses in the Bulrushes'

Most of the sheep were in the shop windows.

'Bath-she-baa'

'Dracula'

Baab Dylan

Roald Baaaahl.

'Ba Ba Black Sheep'

There were many more sheep on display, but the relections in the shop windows meant that some were not able to be photographed.

We then drove the mile to Farfield Mill. This is a restored woollen mill with displays of a wide range of arts and crafts and artist's studios. There were also heritage displays plus the old looms and machinery. There was one special exhibit we wanted to see.

Coat of many colours.

'Elmer the Patchwork Elephant'.

'Hard Times'

'Joseph'.

My favourite!

The exhibit we had come to see! Tom with the embroidered 'White Walker' from TV's 'Game of Thrones', which depicts the Battle of Hardhome. It is 11ft high and 18ft wide. The piece was commissioned by the GoT producers and made by the Embroiderer's Guild of Great Britain.

A stuffed cat!

A piece from one of the Exhibition Galleries.

'Flossie'

'Mrs Haversham'.....as in the village. After a coffee in the cafe we headed up the motorway to Rheged to meet up with some old friends.

Rheged.

Old friends. The total collection of Herdwicks and Lambs were on display before being auctioned in October at the Low Wood Hotel. Each one will probably raise over £1000, so I will have to make do with photographing some of the ones I did not get to see on my travels this summer. The Herdwicks and Lambs were part of the Calvert Trust Public Art Trail, located along the bus route from Bowness to Keswick from March to September.