Hexham Blackface Rams
Hexham Auction Mart
12.10.2026
Hexham and Northern Marts held its Annual Prize Show and Sale of 246 Blackface Rams on a cold brisk October morning.
The sale is very kindly sponsored by longtime sponsors NFU Mutual (Hexham Branch).
Judging the first class of the day was Mr Andrew Hunter, The Steel who very ably cast his eye over 18 shearlings swiftly narrowing them down to his final line up of 9. Taking top spot in the shearlings was Lot 98 from A&S Murray and Sons, West Deanraw with in second place the ticket going to Lot 176 from R Thompson, Keepers Cottage.
The tup lamb class was next and although just a few forward a great trio was put in front of Mr Nick Walton, Cowden Burn who tapped out his 1st prize lamb lot 301 from G&S Paxton, Greenleighton
Mr John Anderson, Penchrise was next up judging the Scotch Shearling class with 10 forward the 1st prize rosette went to lot 225 from the Dudlees.
The overall championship between the Shearling and Tup Lamb went the way of the Greenleighton bred Tup Lamb with the West Deanraw Shearling in Reserve.
The Sale began sharp 10.30am with the first tup into the ring selling to £4500 from W Walton & Sons, Stewartshields with a shearling bred by last years homebred £2000 selling to JE Woodman & Son, Great Chesters. At £2800 was the next from Stewartshields with this one selling to Brieredge Farm.
Next vendor selling to great rates was WS Robson & Co, Yatesfield who had a run of 14 top quality shearlings forward topping at £6000 for the £7000 Yett bred Tup heading over the border to D & A Redpath, The Yett
W Walton, Toft House sold their usual stamp of tups topping at £6,000 for a shearling sired by the £2600 Yatesfield selling in a spilt between P Turnball, Shepherds Croft and T Allanson & Son, Rawcliffe. The next best from this home was with the homebred sired shearling; which was part of the 3rd prize group of 3, for £4500 to J Carr & Co, Camphill
Messrs Charlton, Whiteside always come with quality with the two £6000 Hotbank bred shearlings selling for £3200 to MG Robson & Son, The Hole and J Herdman, Edlingham Newtown respectively.
Not long after it was the turn of Carrick with Messrs Armstrong and Hunter selling their best to £3800 for a £3500 Hotbank sired Shearling to Wanwood Partners.
At £4200 was the first in from H & H Robson, Townshields with their £3000 Cowden Burn bred shearling selling to W L Patterson & Sons, Broomhope
The Shearling Champion from West Deanraw created great interest flying to lead the pen at £9000. This shearling was sired by the Harsondale tup and was bought by W Walton, Toft House. By the Crosswoodhill tup the second from West Deanraw sold to £3000 this time heading to H&H Robson, Townshields
Having been placed 4th in the shearling class CH & S Peart, Hareshaw sold their best to £4800 for their £2000 Steel bred shearling selling to Cowden Partners.
Sewingshields were the next to be racing past £2000 with their top being bred by the £6000 Lamperts selling for £2500 to C Halbert, Prospect House.
Nilston Rigg Farms were next with their usual quality of tups with the best selling for £4000 to J R F Pattinson & Son, Hotbank with this tup being sired by the £5000 Harsondale tup.
The Steel were once again amongst the top prices with their 2nd Prize Scotch Shearling Tofthouse Sired tup rushing up to £12,000 following spirited bidding from all areas of the ring selling to Cowden Partners. The Steel also sold tups to £3200 to Ridley and Lewis Browell, Wheathill
MW & CM Ridley, Shitlington Hall came with a full penful of tups selling to a top of £4,500 to Messrs Weatherson, Edges Green for their Townsheilds sired shearling. At £3500 was their first shearling sired by the £7000 Stell Green and sold to FR & AL Lyth, Whitby
Taking the Group of Three championship and The Willie Armstrong Memorial Shield was the trio from JRF Pattinson & Son, Hotbank with part of the prize-winning trio selling for £6500. This shearling was sired by the £8000 Stell Green tup and was bought by Nilston Rigg Farms.
H&L Morshead, Harsondale sold their best to £3500 for their £3200 Carrick Sired shearling selling to DA & MA Teasdale, Grindon Hill
Taking 2nd prize in the shearling class earlier in the morning was a tup from R Thompson, Keepers Cottage. The tup bred by the £3000 Burncastle tup sold at a fast rate with the final bid coming at £14,000 in a share between Shitlington Hall and Sewingshields. Keepers Cottage also sold a tup at £4000 to GH Walton & Sons, Greyside with this one being bred by a homebred son of the £4500 Steel tup.
Airey Bros from Brownchesters also hit the headlines selling their best to a top of £4000 sired by £4000 Penpugh with a share retained to W & R Hall, Allensgreen
Having been placed 1st in the Scotch class the annual consignment from the Dudlees Partners met spirited bidding with prize winner sired by the £1000 Craigdarroch sold to T J Elder, Pottsdurtrees for £2500. The next two from the Dudlees went on to sell for £2500 also selling to Ashcraig Farming Partnership and Linhope Farm Partnership respectively.
As the sale neared the conclusion of the shearlings the packed ringside gathered once again for the strong pen of tups from Wanwood Hill. The first into the ring from this home which was by the Shitlington Hall tup had bids coming from all over with the gavel coming down at £16,000 to H & H Robson, Townshields. At £3000 from the same home for a shearling sired by the same Shitlington Hall tup was sold to Airey Bros, Brownchesters and W&R Hall, Allensgreen.
Following the sale of Shearlings it was time for the Ram Lambs which included the sales Overall Champion coming from the G & S Paxton, Greenleighton pen. Having taken 1st prize in the lambs, the Overall Champion judge Mr John Anderson tapped Lot 301 a Kirkstead sired lamb to be the champion and went on to sell for £2500 to W Walton, Toft House.
Credit must go to all vendors for producing a tremendous line up of top-quality tups and wish all purchasers the best of luck with their tups
Leading Averages;
| SHEARLING | FARM NAME | TOP | AVERAGE |
| R Thompson | Keepers Cottage | £ 14,000.00 | £ 4,725.00 |
| J Hunter & Sons | The Steel | £ 12,000.00 | £ 3,866.67 |
| Wanwood Partners | Wanwood Hill | £ 16,000.00 | £ 3,787.50 |
| A Irving | Toft House | £ 2,800.00 | £ 2,800.00 |
| A&S Murray & Sons | West Deanraw | £ 9,000.00 | £ 2,566.67 |
| J R F Pattinson & Son | Hotbank | £ 6,500.00 | £ 2,314.29 |
| Nilston Rigg Farms | Nilston Rigg | £ 4,000.00 | £ 2,250.00 |
| Messrs Charlton | Whiteside | £ 3,200.00 | £ 2,040.00 |
| W Walton & Sons | Toft House | £ 6,000.00 | £ 2,025.00 |
| W Walton & Sons | Sterartshields | £ 4,500.00 | £ 1,687.50 |
| M W & C M Ridley | Shitlington Hall | £ 4,500.00 | £ 1,672.73 |
| Dudlees Partners | Dudlees | £ 2,500.00 | £ 1,671.43 |
| Armstrong & Hunter | Carrick | £ 3,800.00 | £ 1,614.29 |
| H & H Robson | Townshields | £ 4,200.00 | £ 1,581.82 |
| H & L Morshead | Harsondale | £ 3,500.00 | £ 1,500.00 |
| W S Robson & Co | Yatesfield | £ 6,000.00 | £ 1,414.29 |
| Airey Bros | Brownchesters | £ 4,000.00 | £ 1,411.11 |
| A Murray & Sons | Sewingshields | £ 2,500.00 | £ 1,383.33 |
| F Hall | Monkridge Cottage | £ 2,000.00 | £ 1,200.00 |
| C H & S Peart | Hareshaw | £ 4,800.00 | £ 1,162.50 |
| P Turnbull | Shepherds Croft | £ 1,800.00 | £ 1,133.33 |
| R & L Browell | Wheathill | £ 2,400.00 | £ 1,000.00 |
| W Walton & Sons | Troughend | £ 1,000.00 | £ 1,000.00 |
| Messrs Weatherson | Edges Green | £ 1,600.00 | £ 1,000.00 |
| LAMBS | FARM NAME | TOP | AVERAGE |
| G & S Paxton | Greenleighton | £ 2,500.00 | £ 1,350.00 |
Leading Prices
Shearlings
£16,000 Wanwood Hill, £14,000 Keepers Cottage, £12,000 The Steel, £9,000 West Deanraw, £6,500 Hotbank, £6,000 Toft House & Yatesfield, £4,800 Hareshaw, £4,500 Shitlington Hall & Stewartshields & Toft House, £4,200 Townshields, £4,000 Brownchesters & Keepers Cottage & Nilston Rigg, £3,800 Carrick, £3,500 Harsondale & Shitlington Hall, £3,200 The Steel & Whiteside x2, £3,000 Wanwood Hill & West Deanraw, £2,800 Stewartshields & Toft House & Wanwood Hill, £2,500 Dudlees Farm x3 & Sewingshields, £2,400 Wheat Hill, £2,200 Brownchesters & Great Chesters & Hotbank & Sewingshields & Shitlington Hall & The Steel & Wanwood Hill, £2,000 1 Monkridge Cottage & Brownchesters & Carrick & Hotbank & Sewingshields & Shitlington Hall & The Lampert & The Steel x2 & Townshields x2 & Wanwood Hill x2, £1,800 Brownchesters & Hotbank & The Steel & West House Farm & Whiteside & Yatesfield x2, £1,600 1 Monkridge Cottage & Edges Green & Shitlington Hall x2 & Townshields & Yatesfield x2, £1,500 Dudlees Farm & Hotbank & Townshields & Wanwood Hill, £1,400 Edges Green & Hotbank & Stewartshields & Toft House & Yatesfield, £1,300 Carrick & Stewartshields x2, £1,200 Carrick & Dudlees Farm & Edges Green & Toft House & Townshields, Penpeugh, £1,100 Carrick & Hareshaw & Peela Hill & Townshields x2 & Wheat Hill x3 & Whiteside & Yatesfield x2, £1,000 Carrick & Clennell & Edges Green & Ogle Castle Farm & Prospect House & Shitlington Hall & Toft House & Townshields & West Deanraw x2
Lambs
£2,500 Greenleighton