Chaos as flock of 300 sheep brings traffic in small Yorkshire town to standstill
‘Things like this are what make the Yorkshire Dales so wonderful,’ says local man who recorded footage
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Chaos erupted earlier today as more than 300 sheep brought traffic in a small town in the Yorkshire Dales to a standstill.
Tim Lee said he rushed out of his house as soon as he heard the flock of sheep storming through the street to see the “incredible sight”.
At least 300 sheep can be seen in a video, recorded by Mr Lee, flooding the narrow streets of Hawes, a tiny town situated just south of the River Ure in North Yorkshire.
The sheep are herded down to a farm in a lower and warmer area during winter as temperatures begin to drop.
Mr Lee said he relishes seeing the animals shuffling downhill as it reminds him of “times gone by”.
Mr Lee said: “I’m local to Hawes so I’ve had the privilege of seeing the sheep flock a few times in my life - but it never gets old.
“There are about 300 sheep in the flock and it’s an incredible sight to behold.
“We’ve become so urbanised that you don’t really see things like this - it’s a nice reminder of times gone by."
The sheep are herded down to lower lands during winter as temperatures drop, and can surprise motorists driving through the village.
Mr Lee added: “It’s a unique experience but you never know when it will happen so it’s always a nice surprise.”
The former pub manager said he rushed out as soon as he heard the sheep on the afternoon of Monday 19 October.
He said: “As soon as I heard baas I knew they were coming so I rushed outside to take the video.
“It’s not every day you see something like that so I wanted to make sure I captured it.
“I think it’s just a bit of a funny sight - you’ve got all of these people in cars confused as traffic comes to a standstill.
“You wonder why and it’s just 300 sheep making their way around.”
He added: “Things like this are what make the Yorkshire Dales so wonderful.”
SWNS
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments