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An exciting new project investigating what it means to be Cumbrian.
Listen to the programme online »
Look at many a Cumbrian hillside and youll see huddles of bemused sheep trying to work out where they are and where theyre supposed to be.
You see fell sheep are ideal case studies for our special BBC 'A Sense of Place' project because they have a natural sense of place that they learn from early days when theyre nobbut larl lambs frolicking around the fells bullying their mums for milk.
Its called their heft and since last years foot and mouth outbreak and the huge cull of fell sheep, lots of our woolly pals have new hefts to learn. Or to be more accurate their farmers have to teach them their new hefts. And what a nightmare it can be! Try persuading 50 sheep not to stray where the grass is greener ... it aint easy! Listen to Caz with Helen Greenbank from Caldbecktrying to reheft her sheep  | | Helen with sons, Thomas and Richard, off to look for sheep |
Sheep are part of the fabric of Cumbria. Look at the hills, etched with that patchwork of dry stone walls. Why were the walls built? To keep the sheep in.
Think of all those old drovers roads, all those pubs called The Shepherds Inn, the towns and villages that built their foundations on the wool trade.
Sheep are written in bold in the history of Cumbria and theres lots of work at the moment to make sure theyll still be an important part of the countys future.
 | | Rough Fell tup near Askham, Penrith |
Theres Fellbred, a meat selling co-operative in Milnthorpe, making sure that local lamb gets onto local plates.
Theres The Woolclip, a new co-operative of farming women and craftswomen whore singing the praises of Cumbrian wool and making fabulous wall hangings, gifts and clothes from it. (I want the psychedelic mohair socks!)
 | | David, Rose and Will Willison with mum and new arrival |
Lambing time is especially poignant this year after the ravages of foot and mouth disease in 2001.
Many farms lost all of their sheep to the outbreak, and fields and fells lay empty.
No daft lambs racing up and down, no bleatings of new life; it was as if the natural soundtrack of much of Cumbria had been suddenly switched off. Hear the Cinderbarrow lambs!
This year is much better as things get back to normal. David and Rose Willison farm at Cinderbarrow near Levens with their son Will and theyve got a good crop of especially noisy lambs this year! More - Sheepy shenanigans
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