I have been reading two books by Amanda Owen, who is known as the Yorkshire shepherdess. Amanda grew up in Huddersfield, but shunned the idea of a regular job and decided that she wanted to be a farmer.
Her first book The Yorkshire Shepherdess follows her early efforts at farming, working for farmers around the country and finally settling in the Yorkshire Dales. Meeting Clive Owen, a farmer, changed her life when she fell in love and moved to Ravenseat, at the top of Swaledale. This book is the story of those early days and is full of anecdotes and typical Yorkshire characters.
The second book A Year In The Life of The Yorkshire Shepherdess was published in the spring. It continues Amanda and Clive's story as their family has grown to include nine children (eight at the time of the book). They farm in a remote part of Yorkshire and breed the traditional Swaledale sheep.
If you enjoyed the stories of James Herriot, you will enjoy these books, with their stories of everyday life on the farm and caring for their family, including a flock of 1,000 sheep, horses, dogs, hens and a goat.
Amanda may have started out as a city girl, but she has clearly given her heart and soul to rural Yorkshire and her farming life and family. Should you ever decide to walk the Coast to Coast, you may be interested to know that you can call at Ravenseat for a cream tea to refresh you after your long trek across the heather moorland.
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