Every dog has its day, and that day will soon arrive for Rob the sheepdog.
A picture of Rob peering through a fence will feature in an outdoor exhibition by photographer Joanne Coates, who spent a year documenting life on an isolated County Durham hill farm. The exhibition celebrating upland farming will be on show in Upper Teesdale as part of a natural heritage programme, backed by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Paul and Jen Johnson, tenant farmers on the Raby Estate, welcomed Joanne to their farm, Herdship. The resulting photographs are on show in the landscape high in the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, a short distance down the dale in the field at the Langdon Beck Hotel until June 4. Entry is free and there is parking at the hotel.
Read more: Newcastle city guides mark 60th anniversary
The large format images have been mounted on posts which will be used for tree guards at the end of the exhibition.
“We took part in this project because we wanted to show the work that goes into a hill farm and the nature-friendly way we farm. Looking after nature is part of our everyday business,” said Mr Johnson.
Duncan Peake, chief executive of the Raby Estate, said: “Upper Teesdale is a special place for people and nature, but this hasn’t happened by accident. Farmers such as Paul and Jen Johnson have adapted their farming methods to create the right conditions for wildlife to thrive. It is wonderful to see these honest and charismatic images charting a year in the life of this upland farm and those working it, and we hope visitors and locals enjoy coming to Langdon Beck to see them.”
Joanne Coates is an award-winning photographer whose work is often made in collaboration with communities, documenting the lives of working people. She has worked on farms in the area herself, and her connection with this way of life comes through in her photographs.
She said: “As someone who has worked as a farm labourer, living in a very rural area, with a partner who farms, I think that arts projects around the hidden elements of farming are vital. Hill farmers are custodians of the land and put an immense amount of care into what they do. It is not only for today that they farm, but for the future. This isn’t often understood, and it was a really important element for me, to showcase this story of one who cares for the land.”
The project has been part of a programme being delivered by the North Pennines AONB Partnership and the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority. Last year an exhibition was staged in Berwick by Joanne, titled Daughters of the Soil: The Women behind Agriculture.
It examined the roles of women in farming, with Joanne working with The Maltings in Berwick. Newcastle University’s Centre for Rural Economy (CRE) and the Institute for Creative Arts Practice. Women make up 15% of the farming industry in the UK, and their contribution is significant but often overlooked.
Prof Sally Shortall, Duke of Northumberland chair of rural economy at CRE, said: “Joanne’s work brings women’s stories to life and capture the essence of their world. I’m delighted that this exhibition raised awareness of the important role played by women in farming today.”
READ NEXT:
