This film shows traditional sheep washing practices on Grassington moor in Upper Wharfedale during the mind-1930s.  Footage includes rounding up sheep, sheep washing, and sheep shearing.  Yorkshire: The Sheep Washing At Grassington Moor The film begins showing Rough Fell sheep rounded up in a stone-walled pen.  They are rounding up by farmers and sheep dogs into a smaller pen.  From here they are put through a gap in the wall one by one and thrown into a stream which has been dammed, with...

This film shows traditional sheep washing practices on Grassington moor in Upper Wharfedale during the mind-1930s.  Footage includes rounding up sheep, sheep washing, and sheep shearing.  Yorkshire: The Sheep Washing At Grassington Moor The film begins showing Rough Fell sheep rounded up in a stone-walled pen.  They are rounding up by farmers and sheep dogs into a smaller pen.  From here they are put through a gap in the wall one by one and thrown into a stream which has been dammed, with two huts in the background.  They are hauled about in the water with poles that have metal hooks that hook onto the sheep’s horns, and they swim across to the other side.  Then another lot of sheep are rounded up by the farmers and sheep dogs to go through the same process.    One farmer holds up his hooked pole for the camera.  The sheep wander over the moors with a farmer and his dog observing. Intertitle – Clipping at Hebden Ghyll A farmer and then a horse and cart pass over a stream.  Sheep are in a stone walled pen.  A fire is made. The sheep are sheared by men seated on wooden benches.  The clipped sheep then have paint daubed onto them and a hot brand, ‘S’, put on their backs to mark them.  The coats are bundled up, tied and thrown onto the cart.  Afterwards the men sit against a stone wall for a rest.  Another man on horseback comes along a lane over a stone bridge at Hole Bottom Hebden, over Hebden Beck.  He is followed by a horse and cart transporting the wool coats.  Finally, sheep are herded along a lane near a farm.   Provided by Reverend G Curry of the Upper Wharfedale Museum Society.