Hillside Farm, Arkengarthdale: Reeth Show's gathering momentum

In good hands for the future. That’s the feeling of Arkengarthdale farmer Doug Barningham, chairman of Reeth Show that takes place on August Bank Holiday Monday 31 August.

‘We feel very fortunate that we have a loyal team of very good helpers of all ages and a committed group of 20-40 year olds that maybe others don’t have in the same number,’ says Doug, who was previously chairman of his even more local show that folded several years ago.

‘I was chairman of Arkengarthdale Show. Unfortunately, it closed because of the demographics. It had become more of a sports day and we haven’t the children to run that these days.

But just four miles down the lane Doug feels that his remaining local show is gathering strength from its younger generations, adding to the experience of those who have been involved for many years, and has increased its momentum since it changed its show day.

‘I have been at Reeth Show since I was a child and have been on the show committee quite a while. It’s a very good traditional agricultural show. It always used to be held on a Wednesday and was moved to bank holiday Monday and has never looked back. We attract good numbers.

‘This is my second year as chairman. You do a three-year stint which keeps everyone fresh. They are three hard working years, but once you’ve completed your stint you’re not compelled to do more.

Doug doesn’t show his sheep and he also hasn’t taken part in the show’s fell race held that sees the runners climb Fremington Edge, even though he has run the Swaledale Marathon on a number of occasions. He’s clearly not short of stamina and not short of quality in his own flock, but it is the show that counts for Doug, not personal victories.

‘We have all the main breeds that populate the hills and dales around here, obviously a huge number of Swaledale and Dalesbred, the Mule and Masham, that are produced by putting the Bluefaced Leicester and Teeswater to our native hill breeds; and we have other popular hill breeds the North Country Cheviot and more recently the Dutch Spotted, and also the terminals including the Texels plus a number of others in including the Jacob.

‘The fell race is very popular even though it has never been something I’ve wanted to compete in. We have a lot of horse classes, a very popular dog show and great stands including craft tents and general produce tents.

‘But none of this would be possible without the community support given to the show. We’ve a group of landowners that let us use their fields, for which we are very grateful, and when the showfield was flooded in 2019 just four weeks before the show everyone came together when it was a disaster scene of mud and silt and stone for the massive clean-up and all the drystone walls were rebuilt.

Doug’s family farm, Hillside was affected too, but recovered, although the loss of the BPS payment that has affected all hill farms has led to a diversification into fattening 2500-3000 pigs a year in an attempt to balance the books.

‘We now have 800 Swaledales and Mules, a suckler herd of 20 cattle and the pigs,’ says Doug. ‘It’s tough making a living in the hills.’

‘The farm runs to 400 acres and is situated at roughly 950ft. We have fell rights for our hefted Swaledales up to the County Durham border on the top, roughly 1600ft.

‘We own the farm we used to rent from the estate owned by the Sopwiths until the early 1970s. Tommy Sopwith came up with the Sopwith Camel aeroplane. We rent another farm and various lumps of land on long-term or short-term lets.

Doug says Home Farm, the other owned farm along with Hillside where he lives with his wife Nicola, was farmed originally by his grandfather Bert, then father Arthur and uncle Gordon.

‘We used to have a dairy herd of 20 Friesian cows until 1996 but they didn’t pay. There used to be seven or eight dairy herds up here, now none. Dairies weren’t keen to come into the high Dales to pick up small volumes.

‘We’ve been sheep, sucklers and now pigs since then. We took on a rented farm, Shaw Farm, eight years ago.

‘We have nearly all pure Swaledales and produce our own replacements, and 50 Mule ewes put to a Texel tup. We put 300 Swaledales to the Bluefaced Leicester to create the Mule.

Like other Swaledale breeders Doug will be at Kirkby Stephen and Hawes marts for the tup sales in autumn.

‘We have shown sheep in the past and bred Swaledale tups. We had one at £15,500 in 2001. We haven’t really bothered last few years. You have to put a huge amount of money in, and can soon chuck a lot of money about and not get a return. We will normally buy a tup or two for realistic prices.

Doug says he’s altered his selling in the last couple of years.

‘We try to fatten lambs but have sold quite a few as stores for the last year or two through Hawes and Leyburn marts. You’ve got to put a lot of feed into lambs to get them fat up here.

Lambing starts with Mule ewes lambing in early March, followed by the Bluefaced Leicester from 20 March and the Swaledale from 10 April.

‘We lamb as many as we can in the shed. A lot of feed goes into them to keep the sheep in good condition. There’s nothing worse than lambing poor sheep.

Doug and Nicola have three now adult children – William and Thomas in their twenties and Emily who has just completed her studies at Bishop Burton College is currently working at local auction marts and a dairy farm in Coverdale.

‘William works here on the farm three-to-four days a week and does agricultural contracting work; Thomas works for a groundworks company and also helps on farm. Nicola works in her mother’s café in Barnard Castle and sells cheese.

Doug’s belief in the younger generations and letting them find their way comes from what he had to do years ago.

‘I only had one year at college but dad had a heart attack when I was 17. I had to come back and help with milking. I was at home on the farm from then. One of the things I push my kids to do is travel while they are young and haven’t got the ties.

‘Nicola and I make an effort to go away. It’s important to get the right work/life balance because farming can be very stressful and can get you down if you work, work, work. We went on a cruise for our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary this year.

Doug pays tribute to his local Young Farmers Club both for their help with the show and for punching above their weight given the club’s size.

‘Reeth YFC were district and county champions in 2025. They are just a small club and to be champions of Yorkshire was brilliant, a lot of members help out on show day.