With lambing season fast approaching, our client Gawdy Hall has been in the news for the work of its shepherdess Hannah Murrell.

The 24-year-old shepherdess is expecting up to 300 Rare & Native Breed lambs to be born in the next few weeks at the estate in Harleston, Norfolk.

Hannah, who joined the Estate in October, looks after a flock of 400 sheep with the help of her three-year-old sheepdog Roo.

Gawdy Hall, which is the sister estate to Courteenhall Farm in Northamptonshire, reintroduced Rare Breed sheep in 2023 starting with 50 Llanwenog sheep. They were soon joined by another 350 as well as 27 Norfolk Horn Shearling ewes, an amber listed rare breed, 100 Lleyn ewes, 3 pedigree rams and 200 Lleyn ewe lambs.

The flock are reared entirely outside on grass and herbal leys in the 16^th century Estate’s parkland and graze cover crops such as radish grown over the winter months. The introduction of cover cropping and livestock is part of the Estate’s change to a more regenerative way of farming to improve soil health.

Hannah grew up on her family cattle farm in Great Yarmouth and before she was a shepherdess worked for six years with cattle at Pulham Herefords in South Norfolk.

She said: “I’m really excited about my first lambing season at Gawdy Hall, as it’s the busiest time of year for a shepherdess.

“Over the last few weeks, I’ve been busy getting everything ready including moving fences in blocks around new grazing areas so there’s fresh food for the sheep; dipping any lame sheep in a footbath with an antibacterial solution; and doing some worming.

“My lovable sheepdog Roo is my absolute right hand and is brilliant in the field, and so quick that the sheep don’t see her coming.

“You don’t meet many shepherdesses in Norfolk because it’s not really sheep country. There are more of us in the North of England but it’s still very much a male dominated profession.”

Hannah added: “I come from a farming family. My grandad was a pig farmer. My mum and dad ran a cattle farm and farm shop near Norwich and had a 70 head suckler herd. They gave up cattle in 2007 because it was so tough and just have nine cows today which we hand-reared as a family. My sister Lizzie is a pig farmer.

“I love sheep and the set up at Gawdy is brilliant.

“Working outside with Roo and the sheep is a perfect job. I love lambing time because it’s such a happy time. Watching newborn lambs spring around makes you feel very bubbly inside. Each lamb has its own personality. There are some awkward ones and others that are willing to do anything.”

Coverage so far for Hannah’s story has included:

Farming Life, Farmers Guardian, BBC Online and National World

In addition, Hannah carried out her first ever radio interview with BBC Radio Norfolk and will feature in the June issue of Norfolk Magazine.

* Mason Media specialises in working with rural estates, providing PR and communications advice and helping our clients to secure media coverage, engage with their local communities and manage their reputations.