Longtown Primestock Sale Report

C&D Auction Marts had forward an entry of 8,640 sheep comprising of 5,160 lambs and 3,480 cast ewes & rams at their weekly sale at Longtown Mart on Thursday 4th December 2025.

PRIME LAMBS

Another great entry of 5,160 prime lambs was forward to a full ringside of purchasers ensuring all grades of well finished lambs were keenly sought after easily maintaining last weeks high rates of return. As Longtown’s reputation as the most consistent trade held firm, being in front of other centres this week. Keep the lambs moving when they are ready and we’ll look after everything else for premium returns.
 
Many more fed lambs are required for the next 2 weeks, which will be in demand and sold to advantage, with big numbers easily handled. Leaner lambs are better sold on a Tuesday in Longtown’s renowned store lamb sale.   

Incorporated into the weekly sale of prime lambs was the annual Christmas prize show and sale which was kindly sponsored by Murray Farm Care. Judging was in the very capable hands of Mr Steven Stoddart, Hillside, Wigton which the directors and auctioneers thank for his time and expertise.

After wading through the 41 pens out to show, Steven duly awarded the championship rosette to the first prize pen of 5 Beltex lambs consigned from renowned flock masters M/s M Dunlop, Corstane, Biggar this fantastic pen of lambs went on to top the sale and realise £320 per head or 615ppk.

The reserve championship was awarded to the best butcher’s pair of lambs that were expertly presented by M/s Line, Killawcraw, Arghyll. This super pair of beltex lambs went onto realise £250 or 568ppk selling to local supporter Billy Kirkup of Kirkups Butchers, Longtown.  

Plenty runs of heavy lambs achieving averages north of £165 proving to be short of purchaser requirements and export weights regularly trading 330-350ppk.   

Overall Average 316.96ppk (SQQ 326.62ppk)

PRIZE LIST:

PAIR SIRED BY BELTEX
1st & Reserve Champion – Lines, Killocraw £250
2nd – Saunders, Mansfield £195
3rd – Cavers, Sorbie £190

PAIRE SIRE BY TEXEL
1st – Nicholson, Knock £170
2nd – Wilson, Warkshaugh £174
3rd – Muir, Windyknowe £186

PAIR SIRED BY OTHER CONTINENTAL
1st – Byers, Cubby Hill £145
2nd – Byers, Chestnut Cottage £154
3rd – Wilson, Warkshaugh £168

5 TEXEL X
1st – Nicholson, Knock £180
2nd – Murray, Roughet Hill £182
3rd – Nicholson, Knock £158

5 BELTEX/BELTEX X
1st – & Champion - Dunlop, Corstane £320
2nd – Lines, Kilocraw £192
3rd – Cavers, Sorbie £156

10 SUFFOLK X
1st – Barbour, Machribeg £150
2nd – Nicholson, Knock £154
3rd – Millar, High Cattadale £152

10 NORTH OF ENGLAND MULE
1st – Gass, Nunscleugh £145
2nd – Spoutbank £139
3rd – Spoutbank £134

10 SCOTCH MULE
1st – Carruthers, Peela Hill £154
2nd – Cameron, Gartvaigh £130

10 NORTH COUNTRY CHEVIOT
1st – Murray, Roughet Hill £147
2nd – Murray, Roughet Hill £140

10 SOUTH COUNTRY CHEVIOT
1st – Reid, Glendearg £138

10 BLACKFACE
1st – Reid, Glendearg £142
2nd – Cavers, Sorbie £135
3rd – Carruthers, Peela Hill £125

The directors, Auctioneers at Longtown thank everybody, buyers, Sellers, Judges and sponsors and staff for their tireless efforts and continued support making this day a complete success. The directors, Auctioneers and all the staff wish their customers a very happy Christmas and a healthy prosperous new year.  

Principal prices (Per head)
Beltex - £320 Corstane, £270 Mossview, £250 Killocraw, £195 Mansfield Cottage, £192 Killocraw, £190 Sorbie & Burnside, £188 Mid Derry Farm, £186 Windyknowe, £184 8 Killeonan.
Texel  - £195 Birch Bush, £182 Roughet Hill, £180 Round Meadows & Knock, £179 Kirkton, £177 Corneyside, £176 Lingey Field, £175 Fountainhall, £174 Warkshaugh, South Bogbain & Shield Green.
Suffolk - £188 Mossview, £184 Moorhills, £180 Jethart, £175 Jubilee Cottage, £174 South Bogbain, £168 Mossview & South Bogbain.
Mule- £166 Tinnis Farm, £158 Westerhopeburn, £154 Peela Hill, £152 Grindon Hill, £150 Pitland Hills, £148 Grindon Hill, £145 Nunscleugh & Peela Hill, £144.5 Pitland Hills, £144 Shitlington Hall & Grindon Hill.
Charollais -£168 31 Larel, £142, £141, £140, £139 Knowe Farm, £138 Bridgestone, £137 Bog House.
Dutch Texel- £168 Warkshaugh.
Border Leicester- £165 Shitlington Hall, £140 Silloans, £140 Shitlington Hall.
North Country Cheviot- £164, £147 Allanshaws, £147 Roughet Hill, £142 Jethart, £140 Roughet Hill.
Jacob- £163, £151 Snab Farm.
Cheviot Mule - £161 Fenton Farm, £147, £146 Mavis Bank, £145 Stooprigg, £144 Dodgsontown, £143 Mavis Bank, £141.5 West Millhills.
Cheviot - £160 Jethart, £154 Kirkton, £147 West Millhills, £145 Sorbietrees, £144 Wes Millhills, £142 Catslackburn & Sundhope, £141.5 Sundhope, £141 Biggin, £140 Jethart, £139 Achalone & Kilnhill.
Dorset- £155 Haymount.
Dutch Spotted- £154 Chestnut Cottage, £145, £143 Cubby Hill, £142 Chestnut Cottage, £136 North House.
Hampshire- £150 Mansfield Cottage.
Blackface - £144 Grindon Hill, £142 Peela Hill, £142 Glendearg, £141.5 Shitlington Hall, £141 Pitland Hills, £140, £139 Tinnis Farm, £137.5 Hole Farm & Shitlington Hall, £137 Grindon Hill, £135 Sorbie.
Easycare- £143 Kinninghall, £132, £130 Peddar Hill.
Roussin- £138, £131 Cubby Hill.
Lleyn- £137 Bonnyrigg.
Oxford-£133, £125 Guards Farm.
Ryeland- £117 Hunley.
Herdwick - £115 Mickley Moor.
Swaledale- £113 Westerhopeburn, £112 Orthwaite Hall.
Kerry Hill- £110 Howtel.

Principal Prices (Per Kilo)
Beltex – 615.4p Corstane, 568.2p Killocraw, 519.2p Mossview, 457.1p Killocraw, 452.4p Sorbie, 414p Mansfield Cottage, 411p Newton of Inshewan, 409.3p Burnside, 405.7p, 405.3p Killocraw.
Dutch Texel- 390.7p Warkshaugh.
Texel – 398p Corneyside, 385p Lingey Field, 380p Fallaw, 367p Lanehead, 364p Roughet Hill, 363p Newton of Tulloch & Wardmill, 360p, 360p Corneyside, 358.8p Langholm Farm, 358p Marchbank.
Suffolk – 349p Killocraw, 345p Marchbank, 334.1p North House, 331.7p Dippen Farm, 331p Kinninghall, 331p, 330.8p Bog House, 330p Machribeg, 328.9p East Rackwood, 328.6p Dippen Farm.
Cheviot Mule – 349p, 328.2p, 325p, 323.3p Marchbank, 320p Dippen, 313.6p Kinninghall, 307p Stooprigg & West Millhills.
Dutch Spotted – 346.3p Chestnut Cottage, 337.2p, 325p Cubby Hill, 323.8p North House.
Roussin- 345p, 321p Cubby Hill.
Charollais – 339.5p, 334p Bog House, 324.p Knowe Farm, 319p Bog House, 313.6p Bridgestone, 308.9p Knowe Farm, 305.5p 31 Larel.
Cheviot –338p Biggin, 321.6p Catslackburn, 320.6p Byers Farm, 320p Roughet Hill, 316p Catslackburn, 315p North House & Catslackburn, 313.9p Hillside, 312.5p Byers Farm, 311.4p Biggin.
Easycare- 323p Eland Hall, 309.5p Peddar Hill, 309p, 308.1p Dunnichen.
Blackface – 320p Burnfoot Farms, 317.5p Sorbie, 314.3p Burnfoot Farms, 314p Sorbie, 311p Tinnis Farm, 308.7p Glendearg, 307.7p Drumgrange, 305p Tinnis Farm & Peela Hill, 304p Grindon Hill & Chapel Farm.
North Country Cheviot- 318.2p, 306.3p Roughet Hill, 298p Carruthers Farm, 291.7p, 288p Allanshaws, 284p Jethart.
Mule – 315p Gartvaigh, 313p Shitlington Hall & Langholm Farm, 312p Pitland Hills, 308p Peela Hill, 307p Grindon Hill, 306.8p Burnfoot Farms, 306p Silloans, 305p East Rackwood.
Lleyn- 311.4p Bonnyrigg.
Oxford- 305p, 298p Guards Farm.
Swaledale- 305.4p Westerhopeburn, 266.7p Orthwaite Hall.
Kerry Hill- 297.3p Howtel.
Jacob- 296.4p, 279.6p Snab Fam.
Dorset- 287p Haymount.
Ryeland- 278.6p Hunley.
Herdwick- 273.8p Mickley Moor.
Border Leicester – 271.7p Silloans, 264.2p, 242.6p Shitlington Hall.
Hampshire- 237.1p Mansfield Cottage.

CAST EWES AND RAMS

A smaller and very mixed show of 3,480 cast ewes and rams were forward including an increase in leaner and light weight ewes in the entry. Heavier ewes were few and far between being in big demand. The entire entry sold to the same ring of purchasers ensuring all classes sold to similarly high rates of return.

Incorporated in today’s sale was the annual Christmas prize show and sale of Prime ewes, which was expertly judged by M/s J Blenkhorn on behalf of Yorkshire Halal Meat Suppliers, Mr Blenkhorn found his champion in the finest pure texel ewes to grace the ring at Longtown consigned by M/s Arnott, Haymount.  

Heavy ewes topped at £440 for the Champion pen of Texel ewes from Haymount, whos run of 28 pure bred texel ewes averaged a staggering £363.  

Beltex topped at £265 from JW Storey & Son, Woodhead, Haltwhistle.   

Mule ewes topped at £205 for the 1st prize pen also consigned from Haymount.

Light ewes topped at £148 for a pen of  Cheviot ewes from T Mackenzie, Drumreach, Inverness.

Rams sold to £245 for Cheviots from J Runciman & Son, Allanshaws, Stow.

PRIZE LIST:

TEXEL EWES (pens of 5)
1st & Champion – Arnott, Haymount £440
2nd & Reserve Champion – Beard, Dormansteads £350

SUFFOLK EWES (pens of 10)
1st – Mackenzie, Drumreach £220
2nd – Arnott, Haymount £220

MULE EWES (pens of 10)
1st – Arnott, Haymount £205
2nd – Mackenzie, Drumreach £178
3rd – Tindale, Paradise £160

Heavy ewes
Texel  - £440, £390, £375, £350 Haymount, £350 Dormansteads, £340 Haymount, £310 Bascodyke Foot, £300 Fallaw, Marygate & High Glen.
Beltex - £265 Woodhead, £220 Howard House, £208 Townhead of Culloch.
Suffolk - £230 Snab, £220 Marygate & Drumeach, £218 Snab, £212 Helmburn.
Bluefaced Leicester- £230 Dormansteads, £208 Silloans.
Mule- £205 Haymount, £190 High Glen, £180 Farnbury, £178 Drumreach & Kirranrae.
Cheviot Mule - £200, £198 Marygate, £188 Drumreach.
North Country Cheviot-  £195 Carruthers, £190 Haster & Dormansteads, £185 Drumreach & Hillside.
Romney - £152 Cliftencote.
Lleyn- £130 Trailtrow & Lords Lot.

Light ewes
Hill Cheviot £148 Drumreach, £147 Northway, £140 Cadgillhead, £136 Glengeith.
Blackface £142 Dalbog, £136 West Stobs Wood, £132 Northway & Kilwhipnach, £130 Cliftencote & Linkshead.  
Easycare £140 Paradise, £138, £128 Peddar Hill.
Swaledale £114 Farnbury, £108 High House, £104 Beck Farm, £102 Kilwhipnach.

Rams
Cheviot £245 Allanshaws.
Suffolk £225 Allanshaws, £220 Broomhills, £200 Allanshaws.
Texel £212 High Glen, £210 Newton of Tulloch, £207 High Glen, £205 Auchengool Cottage & Cadgillhead.
Charollais £207 High Glen.
Beltex £205 Woodhead.  
North Country Cheviot £185 Hillside, £170 Whitstonehill. 
Blackface £155 Skelfhill, £150 Clonrae.  

Averages:
Lambs
Light to 338p (284.8p)
Standard to 411p (330.3p)
Medium to 568.2p (325.36p)
Heavy to 615.4p (307.72p)
Overweight 3325.9p (293.85p)

Ewes
Light to £148.00 (£97.64)
Heavy to £440.00 (£162.81)
Rams to £245.00 (£150.24)

Please contact your auctioneers or fields personnel for further enquiries
John Walton 07880 527 066
Daniel Lynn 07584 200 489
Nick Woodmass 07442 246 063
Norman Douglas 07786 366 833
Helen Rickard 07741 313 029

corresponding week 2024 sale report