Go Herdwick spotting this Summer

We have a fun public art trail in the Lake District this spring and summer; Bristol had Shaun the sheep, Newmarket had racehorses and Liverpool had bananalamas (no, I don’t know why either!) but of course for the Lakes, it has to be the iconic Herdwick sheep.

From March to September there are 60 artist-painted, life-sized sheep in various locations following the 555 bus route. Being sheep, they tend to stay in a herd and are mainly to be found in the key towns of Keswick, Grasmere, Rydal, Ambleside and Windermere. There are maps on sale to help you find them costing £2 with funds going towards the Calvert Trust charity. The charity provides outdoor adventure experiences at a residential centre overlooking Bassenthwaite Lake for the disabled. See if you can spot all the wacky sheep and take some ‘herd-elfies’. To whet your appetite we are introducing a picture here of Bella (shown above).

From 27th May, the sheep will be joined by 50 lambs; you can pick up a ‘passport’ and collect stamps to show you have completed the challenge, which should be great fun for children or the young at heart.

From 22 to 29th September, the whole flock will be rounded up at the Rheged Centre in Penrith so you can see them all together. There is also an opportunity to own your favourite Herdwick by attending the grand gala auction and dinner at the Low Wood Bay Hotel on Saturday 8th October.

We look forward to seeing ‘ewe’ in the Lake District soon!