THE HERDWICK PROJECT

I have a real affinity with Cumbria, it feels like my second or natural home, as if I belong in the mountains. I have photographed the landscape there for years, yet it was only recently I noticed the specks on the landscape, which are an integral part of shaping what we see, and unique to the character of the mountains. A breed of sheep which defies the harsh landscape, and has made Cumbria it’s home.

In 2013 I bough a small flock of Herdwicks to keep on my smallholding in Dorset, and we have been through the journey of tupping and lambing, which has given me a real sense of the character of these sheep with the most captivating personalities.

The Herdwick project for me is about several things, it is of course photographing the sheep, but also about documenting the lifestyles of those who farm them, a unique way of life. Once complete, this will take the form of a fine art book.