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54-567: Amanda Owen (born September 1974) is an English shepherdess , writer and presenter. Owen lives and works on a remote farm, Ravenseat Farm, in Swaledale in the Yorkshire Dales . children: Raven, Reuben, Miles, Edith, Violet, Sidney, Annas, Clementine and Nancy. In 2022, Owen separated from her husband Clive after 22 years of marriage. Owen first gained attention through her Twitter feed as "The Yorkshire Shepherdess", which led to her writing

108-616: A book of the same title. Owen has written five books: Owen and her family first appeared as regulars on Adrian Edmondson's 2011 ITV documentary series The Dales (repeated on Together TV in 2021), alongside the Reverend Ann Chapman, the vicar of four small churches, and a number of other people living in the Yorkshire Dales. At that point, the Owen family consisted of Amanda, Clive and their five young children. In November 2015,

162-456: A breed of round-horned sheep . Traditional Swaledale products are woollens and Swaledale cheese , which was formerly made from ewe ’s milk . These days it is made from cow ’s milk. Starting in the 1700s, and continuing into the 20th century, a major industry in the area was lead mining carried out in Arkengarthdale and at Grinton Moor . Today, Grinton Smelt Mill, a Scheduled Monument ,

216-560: A derelict farmhouse and the first episode was broadcast on 14 October 2024. Ravenseat Farm is a working hill farm located in Whitsun Dale at the top of Swaledale . The nearest village is Keld in North Yorkshire , and the nearest town is Kirkby Stephen in Cumbria . It is predominantly a sheep farm of 2000 acres; as of summer 2016 there were about 900 sheep and 30 cattle. The place name

270-405: A few shepherds still do this today. In many societies, shepherds were an important part of the economy. Unlike farmers, shepherds were often wage earners, being paid to watch the sheep of others. Shepherds also lived apart from society, being largely nomadic. It was mainly a job for solitary males without children, and new shepherds thus needed to be recruited externally. Shepherds were most often

324-643: A hooked end. In modern times, shepherding has changed dramatically. The enclosure of many common lands in Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries shifted some shepherds from independent nomads to employees of massive estates. Some families in Africa and Asia have their wealth in sheep, so a young son is sent out to guard them while the rest of the family tends to other chores. In the US, many sheep herds are flocked over public Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands. Wages are higher than

378-406: A hut-keeper during the night. Shepherds took the sheep out to graze before sunrise and returned them to brush-timber yards at sunset. The hut-keeper usually slept in a movable shepherd's watch box placed near the yard in order to deter attacks on the sheep. Dogs were also often chained close by to warn of any impending danger to the sheep or shepherd by dingoes or natives. In 1839 the usual wage for

432-549: A new farming series which would join farm-based programmes like Matt Baker: Our Farm in the Dales in More4's schedules. Unlike Baker's Dales series or her Channel 5 programme, she will visit other farms in Amanda Owen's Extraordinary Farming Lives , set to be a six-part series of 60 minute programmes. In November 2022, Channel 5 confirmed that Our Yorkshire Farm would not be returning to

486-545: A quieter tone, especially as it is more remote compared to, say, Wharfedale , which is much further south and easily accessible from the West Yorkshire metropolis. The market town of Richmond is promoted as offering "an abundance of places to explore" including Richmond Castle and history museums and in 2021, a North Yorkshire publication particularly recommended the small villages of Gunnerside , Muker and Keld to visitors. In May and June every year, Swaledale hosts

540-470: A series of ponds. In 2024, Channel 5 confirmed that another spin-off Reuben: Life in the Dales will be broadcast in April 2024 which once again will see the trio from the previous spin-off series and the first episode was broadcast on 25 April 2024. In September 2024, Channel 4 commissioned Our Farm Next Door a ten-part series featuring herself, her ex-husband Clive and their fully grown-up children renovating

594-411: A shepherd was about AU£50 per year, plus weekly rations of 12 pounds (5.4 kg) meat, 10 pounds (4.5 kg) flour, 2 pounds (0.91 kg) sugar and 4 ounces (110 g) tea. The wage during the depression of the 1840s dropped to £20 a year. During the 1850s many shepherds left to try their luck on the goldfields causing acute labour shortages in the pastoral industry. This labour shortage leads to

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648-473: A shepherd, a man is the shepherd over his family, and a woman is the shepherd over her husband's house and his children. So all of you are shepherds, and every one of you is responsible for his herd." One of the gentle aspects of the Hindu deity Shiva is called Pashupati , translated as, "the lord of the animals", though more commonly associated with cattle. As Pashupati, the deity is metaphorically regarded to be

702-399: A shepherd." ( Sahih Bukhari , Chapter 'Prophets', Volume 4, Book 55, Hadith 618) This includes Jesus, Moses, Abraham, and all other prophets according to Islam. Also, 'shepherd' used as a metaphor of leadership and responsibilities that comes with it. A hadith narrated from Ibn Umar says that Muhammad says, "All of you are shepherds and every one of you is responsible for his herd. A leader is

756-507: A walk through Wensleydale and Raydale . Owen also filmed a couple of reports for Live: Winter on the Farm broadcast on Channel 5 between 6–9 December 2021. Reuben Owen also filmed a feature for this series and appeared on the last episode of the series, joining The Yorkshire Vet's Shona Searson and Manchester chocolatier Sarah Gallacher at Cannon Hall Farm with Rob and Dave Nicholson. In 2022, Leeds-based Wise Owl Films hired Owen to present

810-595: Is a person who tends, herds, feeds, or guards flocks of sheep . Shepherding is one of the world's oldest occupations; it exists in many parts of the globe, and it is an important part of pastoralist animal husbandry . Because the occupation is so widespread, many religions and cultures have symbolic or metaphorical references to shepherds. For example, Jesus called himself the Good Shepherd , and ancient Greek mythologies highlighted shepherds such as Endymion and Daphnis . This symbolism and shepherds as characters are at

864-524: Is an idyllic and natural countryside. These works are, indeed, called pastoral , after the term for herding. The first surviving instances are the Idylls of Theocritus , and the Eclogues of Virgil , both of which inspired many imitators such as Edmund Spenser 's The Shepheardes Calender . The shepherds of the pastoral are often heavily conventional and bear little relation to the actual work of shepherds. In

918-500: Is considered to be the best preserved of its type in the Dales. Today, tourism has become important, and Swaledale attracts thousands of visitors a year. It is very popular with walkers, particularly because the Coast to Coast Walk passes along it. Unlike Wensleydale it has no large settlements on the scale of Hawes or Leyburn, nor an obvious tourist hook such as the former's connection with James Herriot , and so, like Coverdale , it enjoys

972-579: Is one of the Yorkshire Dales , which are part of the Pennines , and within the Yorkshire Dales National Park . It is named after the River Swale , which runs through it. Swaledale is the most northerly of the major dales. Swaledale runs broadly from west to east, from the high moors on the Cumbria –Yorkshire boundary at the watershed of Northern England to the market town of Richmond , where

1026-484: Is one of the thrusts of Biblical scripture. This illustration encompasses many ideas, including God's care for his people. The tendency of humans to put themselves into danger's way and their inability to guide and take care of themselves apart from the direct power and leading of God is also reinforced with the metaphor of sheep in need of a shepherd. According to Muhammad , the Prophet of Islam , every messenger of God had

1080-554: The "Scott charities", a range of local non-profit making organisations. The events were still running as of 2023. Ravenseat, the farm of Amanda Owen ("The Yorkshire Shepherdess"), is in Swaledale. In a letter to Geoffrey Grigson of 17 January 1950, the poet W. H. Auden wrote, "My great good place is the part of the Pennines bounded on the S by Swaledale, on the N by the Roman wall and on

1134-522: The ancient practices and knowledge that have been passed down through generations. In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in sustainable and eco-friendly agriculture in China, leading to efforts to preserve and revitalize traditional shepherding practices. Some initiatives aim to support and empower local shepherds, recognizing the cultural and environmental importance of their role in maintaining China's pastoral landscapes. European exploration led to

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1188-633: The center of pastoral literature and art. Shepherding is among the oldest occupations, beginning some 5,000 years ago in Asia Minor . Sheep were kept for their milk, their meat and especially their wool . Over the next thousand years, sheep and shepherding spread throughout Eurasia . Henri Fleisch tentatively suggested that the Shepherd Neolithic industry of Lebanon may date to the Epipaleolithic and that it may have been practised by one of

1242-464: The channel in its original form, with a three-part spin-off programme called Beyond The Yorkshire Farm: Reuben & Clive due to be launched on the channel on 6 December 2022. This spin-off series will show the father and son duo launching a digging business venture alongside Reuben's friend Tom McWhirter and Reuben's girlfriend Sarah Dow, which sees them in the Cumbrian village of Langwathby digging out

1296-426: The characters who save and raise them, the shepherds themselves being secondary characters. Similarly, the heroes and heroines of fairy tales written by the précieuses often appeared as shepherds and shepherdesses in pastoral settings, but these figures were royal or noble, and their simple setting does not cloud their innate nobility. Swaledale Swaledale is a valley in North Yorkshire , England. It

1350-566: The cold. In the more temperate and arable southern regions, shepherds utilized different strategies for grazing and protection. Shepherding practices in China have evolved over the centuries, adapting to changes in agricultural and pastoral systems. With the modernization of agriculture and the growth of urbanization, the traditional role of shepherds has declined significantly in many parts of China. However, there are still regions, particularly in remote and mountainous areas, where shepherds continue to maintain their traditional way of life, preserving

1404-447: The dale are particularly striking because of its large old limestone field barns and its profusion of wild flowers. The latter are thanks to the return to the practice of leaving the cutting of grass for hay or silage until wild plants have had a chance to seed. Occasionally visible from the valley bottom road are the slowly fading fellside scars of the 18th and 19th century lead mining industry. Ruined stone mine buildings remain, taking on

1458-611: The dale meets the lowlands. Nine Standards Rigg , the prominent ridge with nine ancient tall cairns, rises on the watershed at the head of Swaledale. To the south and east of the ridge a number of smaller dales ( Birkdale , Little Sleddale, Great Sleddale and Whitsundale) join to form the narrow valley of upper Swaledale at the small village of Keld . From there, the valley runs briefly south then turns east at Thwaite to broaden progressively as it passes Muker , Gunnerside , Low Row , Healaugh and Reeth . The Pennine valley ends at Richmond, where an important medieval castle still watches

1512-478: The family appeared in an episode of New Lives In The Wild UK with Ben Fogle , a Channel 5 programme which is made by Warner Brothers' Renegade Pictures. Their appearance led to their own observational documentary series following life on the Owens' farm on Channel 5 called Our Yorkshire Farm , which has become one of the channel's most popular programmes with over three million viewers watching each episode since it

1566-418: The famous Wensleydale cheese , runs parallel with Swaledale. The two dales are separated by a ridge including Great Shunner Fell , and joined by the road over Buttertubs Pass . Swaledale is a typical limestone Yorkshire dale, with its narrow valley-bottom road, green meadows and fellside fields, white sheep and dry stone walls on the glacier-formed valley sides, and darker moorland skyline. The upper parts of

1620-432: The fertile plains of the central and eastern regions. The shepherds employed their knowledge of the land and the behavior of their animals to select optimal grazing grounds and water sources. Traditional Chinese shepherds used tools and equipment suited to their specific regions and needs. In the north, where winters could be harsh, they often relied on yurts or portable shelters to protect themselves and their livestock from

1674-623: The first cultures of nomadic shepherds in the Beqaa Valley . Some sheep were integrated in the family farm along with other animals such as chickens and pigs. However to maintain a large flock, the sheep must be able to move from pasture to pasture. This required the development of an occupation separate from that of the farmer. The duty of shepherds was to keep their flock intact, protect it from predators and guide it to market areas in time for shearing . In ancient times, shepherds also commonly milked their sheep, and made cheese from this milk;

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1728-425: The herdsman or the shepherd of the souls of men. Sikhism also has many mentions of shepherd tales. There are many relevant quotations, such as "We are the cattle, God almighty is our shepherd." This concept has also been used frequently by critics of organized religion to present an unflattering portrayal. The shepherd, with other such figures as the goatherd , is the inhabitant of idealized Arcadia , which

1782-708: The important ford from the top of a cliff. Below Richmond, the valley sides flatten out and the Swale flows across lowland farmland to meet the Ure just east of Boroughbridge at a point known as Swale Nab. The Ure becomes the Ouse , and eventually (on merging with the Trent) the Humber . From the north, Arkengarthdale and its river the Arkle Beck join Swaledale at Reeth. To the south, Wensleydale , home of

1836-575: The land was dry and barren, it was thought that Dumuzid had "died". Metaphorically, the term "shepherd" is used for God , especially in the Judeo-Christian tradition (e.g. Psalm 23 , Ezekiel 34), and in Christianity especially for Jesus , who called himself the Good Shepherd . The Ancient Israelites were a pastoral people and there were many shepherds among them. It may also be worth noting that many biblical figures were shepherds, among them

1890-607: The lowlands and river valleys, it was far more efficient to grow grain and cereals than to allow sheep to graze; thus the raising of sheep was confined to rugged and mountainous areas. In pre-modern times shepherding was thus centered on regions such as the Middle East, Greece, the Pyrenees , the Carpathian Mountains , Scotland and Northern England. The shepherd's crook is a strong multi-purpose stick or staff, often fashioned with

1944-503: The occupation of being a shepherd at one point in their lives, as he himself was as a young man. Narrated by Jabir bin Abdullah: We were with Allah 's Apostle picking the fruits of the Arak trees , and Allah's Apostle (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) said, "Pick the black fruit, for it is the best." The companions asked, "Were you a shepherd?" He replied, "There was no prophet who was not

1998-523: The patriarchs Abraham and Jacob , the twelve tribes , the prophet Moses , King David , and the Old Testament prophet Amos , who was a shepherd in the rugged area around Tekoa . In the New Testament , angels announced the birth of Jesus to shepherds . The same metaphor is also applied to priests , with Roman Catholic , Church of Sweden and other Lutheran , and Anglican bishops having

2052-484: The poem "The passionate shepherd to his love", by Christopher Marlowe, a shepherd is depicted as a partaker of rural paradise, and capable of giving things worth more than that a town resident could give. Many tales involving foundlings portray them being rescued by shepherds: Oedipus , Romulus and Remus , the title characters of Longus 's Daphnis and Chloe , and The Winter's Tale by William Shakespeare . These characters are often of much higher social status than

2106-502: The same colours as the landscape into which they are crumbling. In 1989, Swaledale (and Arkengarthdale) were designated as a Barns and Walls Conservation Area, making it the largest conservation area in the United Kingdom. Swaledale is home to many small but beautiful waterfalls, such as Richmond Falls , Kisdon Force and Catrake Force . Sheep-farming has always been central to economic life in Swaledale, which has lent its name to

2160-457: The sheep from straying too far, to keep the mobs as healthy as possible and to prevent attacks from dingoes and introduced predators such as feral dogs and foxes. Lambing time further increased the shepherd's responsibilities. Shepherding was an isolated, lonely job that was firstly given to assigned convict servants. The accommodation was usually poor and the food was lacking in nutrition, leading to dysentery and scurvy . When free labour

2214-631: The sheep when necessary at times like lambing or shearing. The first Shepherd's Fair was announced to take place in the Cyprus Village of Pachna, on August 31, 2014, in the printed editions of Cyprus Weekly and in the Greek-language daily, Phileleftheros . Shepherding in China dates back thousands of years. Traditional Chinese shepherds played a vital role in the country's agrarian society, tending to flocks of sheep and goats in various regions. These herders were responsible for not only ensuring

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2268-545: The shepherd's crook among their insignia (see also Lycidas ). In both cases, the implication is that the faithful are the "flock" who have to be tended. This is in part inspired by Jesus's injunctions to Peter, "Feed my sheep", which is the source of the pastoral image in Lycidas . The term " Pastor ", originally the Latin word for "shepherd", is now used solely to denote the clergy of most Christian denominations. The Good Shepherd

2322-588: The spread of sheep around the world, and shepherding became especially important in Australia and New Zealand where there was great pastoral expansion. In Australia squatters spread beyond the Nineteen Counties of New South Wales to elsewhere, taking over vast holdings called properties and now stations . Once driven overland to these properties, sheep were pastured in large unfenced runs. There, they required constant supervision. Shepherds were employed to keep

2376-496: The start of the 20th century. Dumuzid , later known as Tammuz, was an important rural deity in ancient Mesopotamian religion , who was revered as the patron god of shepherds. In his role as Dumuzid sipad ("Dumuzid the Shepherd"), he was believed to be the provider of milk, which was a rare, seasonal commodity in ancient Sumer due to the fact that it could not easily be stored without spoiling . Under this same title, Dumuzid

2430-657: The two-week-long Swaledale Festival , which combines a celebration of small-scale music and a programme of guided walks. The first weekend in August sees the area host the 'Ard Rock mountain bike festival, which is based in Reeth but uses bridleways and private land in both Swaledale and Arkengarthdale. Since 1950, Swaledale has been the host of the Scott Trial , a British motorcycle trials competition run over an off-road course of approximately 70 miles (110 kilometres), raising money for

2484-404: The well-being of their animals but also safeguarding them from natural predators such as wolves and protecting them from theft. Shepherding in ancient China was often a communal effort, with families or communities collectively managing their herds. These communities developed techniques and methods to graze their flocks in the vast and varied landscapes of China, from the high plateaus of Tibet to

2538-521: The widespread practice of fencing properties, which in turn reduced the demand for shepherds. Over 95% of New South Wales sheep were grazing in paddocks by the mid-1880s. An 1890s census of fencing in New South Wales recorded that 2.6 million kilometres of fencing had been erected there with a contemporary cost of A$ 3 billion. Boundary riders and stockmen replaced shepherds working on foot, who have not been employed in Australia and New Zealand since

2592-654: The younger sons of farming peasants who did not inherit any land. In other societies, each family would have a family member to shepherd its flock, often a child, youth or an elder who could not help much with harder work; these shepherds were fully integrated in society. Shepherds would normally work in groups: either looking after one large flock, or each bringing their own and merging their responsibilities. They would live in small cabins, often shared with their sheep, and would buy food from local communities. Less often shepherds lived in covered wagons that traveled with their flocks. Shepherding developed only in certain areas. In

2646-486: Was a shepherd's whistle , used to communicate with her sheep dogs . On 14 July 2019 she was the subject of Radio 4's On Your Farm . On 10 July 2021, she appeared as the featured guest on Radio 4's The Poet Laureate Has Gone To His Shed with Simon Armitage . In November 2021, Owen was one of the four walkers travelling with the BBC's 360 degree camera , in series two of BBC Four's Winter Walks . with Owen's episode featuring

2700-717: Was apparently not recorded before the first edition of the Ordnance Survey in 1860. The name must have been given first to the summit on Ravenseat Moor. Seat is a dialect word for summit . Place names in the North of England that include the element seat or side are usually derived from Old Norse saeter , seter or setr (elevated summer pasture). Derived from Old Norse saeter (elevated summer pasture). Derived from Old Norse dalr (valley). Derived from Old Norse bekkr (stream or river). Derived from Old Norse foss (waterfall). Shepherd A shepherd

2754-512: Was first broadcast on 27 November 2018, narrated by actor Ralf Little . On 16 February 2021, Channel 5 broadcast the first episode of series 14 of Ben Fogle: Return to the Wild , which saw Fogle back at Ravenseat Farm after six years, where he met their youngest child Nancy (who was born since his last visit) for the first time. In August 2017, she appeared on BBC Radio 4 's The Museum of Curiosity . Her hypothetical donation to this imaginary museum

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2808-399: Was more readily available others took up this occupation. Some shepherds were additionally brought to Australia on the ships that carried sheep and were contracted to caring for them on their arrival in the colony. Sheep owners complained about the inefficiency of shepherds and the shepherds' fears of getting lost in the bush . Typically sheep were watched by shepherds during the day, and by

2862-489: Was the case in the past. Keeping a shepherd in constant attendance can be costly. Also, the eradication of sheep predators in parts of the world has lessened the need for shepherds. In places like Britain, hardy breeds of sheep have frequently been left alone without a shepherd for long periods. More productive breeds of sheep can be left in fields and moved periodically to fresh pasture when necessary. Hardier breeds of sheep can be left on hillsides. The sheep farmer will attend to

2916-514: Was thought to have been the fifth antediluvian king of the Sumerian city-state of Bad-tibira . In the Sumerian poem Inanna Prefers the Farmer , Dumuzid competes with the farmer Enkimdu for the affection of the goddess Inanna and ultimately wins her favor. Ancient Near Eastern peoples associated Dumuzid with the springtime, when the land was fertile and abundant, but, during the summer months, when

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