Country diary: Sheep valuation day means soggy paperwork and patient waiting

Eskdale, Lake District: When a hill farm changes hands, it's both a new chapter and a glimpse into the distant pastIt is a relentlessly wet day in Eskdale. I have aquaplaned my car on the way to the farm, and hide under the boot lid getting my waterproofs on, ready for the viewing. When a tenant in a National Trust hill farm retires or leaves, the sheep are "viewed" in order to value them and assess their condition. To that end, the landlord's flock is hefted to the fell. Some of the sheep belong to the trust and are provided as part of the tenancy, so that any new tenant - in this case a young shepherd from the valley - can start their own farm business without huge investment. The remainder of the sheep belong to the outgoing tenant and must be valued fairly for sale.Both tenants and the National Trust have two viewers acting for them. Once the viewers have inspected the sheep, they retire to the barn to discuss the value, while the rest of us wait patiently in a trailer as the rain hammers the aluminium roof. Continue reading...