Herdship by Joanne Coates

9 May 2023

Location: Langdon Beck Hotel, North Pennines AONB and UNESCO Global Geopark
Dates: Wednesday 10 May to Sunday 4 June 2023

An outdoor exhibition celebrating hill farming will be on show in Upper Teesdale as part of a major natural heritage programme, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Photographer Joanne Coates spent a year documenting the farming year in Upper Teesdale as part of the Tees-Swale: naturally connected programme being delivered by the North Pennines AONB Partnership and the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority.

For this unique insight into the working life of hill farmers, tenant farmers Paul and Jen Johnson welcomed Joanne Coates to their Upper Teesdale farm, Herdship, on the Raby Estate. The resulting photographs will be exhibited a short distance down the dale in the field at the Langdon Beck Hotel, from Wednesday 10 May to Sunday 4 June. Entry is free and there is parking at the hotel.

Twenty images of life, work, and the natural year at Herdship will be on display, set into the landscape high in the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The large format images have been mounted on posts which will be repurposed for tree guards at the end of the exhibition.

“We took part in this project because we wanted to show the work that goes into a hill farm and the nature-friendly way we farm, working with wildflowers and birds. Looking after nature is part of our everyday business,” said Paul Johnson.

Duncan Peake is the Chief Executive of the Raby Estate and a board member of the Tees-Swale programme. He said: “Upper Teesdale is a special place for people and nature, but this hasn’t happened by accident. Farmers such as Paul and Jen Johnson have adapted their farming methods to create the right conditions for wildlife to thrive, and this way of farming with nature is at the heart of the Tees-Swale programme. It is wonderful to see these honest and charismatic images charting a year in the life of this upland farm and those working it, and we hope visitors and locals enjoy coming to Langdon Beck to see them.”

Joanne Coates is an award-winning photographer with local roots. Her work is often made in collaboration with communities, documenting the lives of working people. Joanne has worked on farms in the area herself, and her connection with this way of life comes through in her photographs.

Jo said: “As someone who has worked as a farm labourer, living in a very rural area, with a partner who farms, I think that arts projects around the hidden elements of farming are vital. Hill farmers are custodians of the land and put an immense amount of care into what they do. It is not only for today that they farm, but for the future. This isn’t often understood, and it was a really important element for me, to showcase this story of one who cares for the land.”

Notes for editors

• Contact Sarah Hudspeth, Communications Lead at the North Pennines AONB Partnership for further information – shudspeth@northpenninesaonb.org.uk, Phone: 07768 123247
• An image from the exhibition is attached. For alternative images please contact Sarah on 01388 528801
• About The National Lottery Heritage Fund
  • Using money raised by the National Lottery, we Inspire, lead and resource the UK’s heritage to create positive and lasting change for people and communities, now and in the future. www.heritagefund.org.uk.
  • Follow @HeritageFundUK on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and use #NationalLotteryHeritageFund
  • Since The National Lottery began in 1994, National Lottery players have raised over £43 billion for projects and more than 635,000 grants have been awarded across the UK. More than £30 million raised each week goes to good causes across the UK.
• The North Pennines is one of England’s most special places – a peaceful, unspoilt landscape with a rich history and vibrant natural beauty. It was designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in 1988. The purpose of this nationally recognised designation is the conservation and enhancement of the natural beauty of the area.
• At almost 2,000 sq. kilometres the North Pennines is the second largest of the 46 AONBs (in England, Wales and Northern Ireland) and is one of the most peaceful and unspoilt places in England. Visit www.landscapesforlife.org.uk for information about the AONB Family.
• The North Pennines lies between the National Parks of the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales, and Northumberland with the urban centres of County Durham away to the east. Parts of the AONB are within the boundaries of five local authorities; the three counties of Cumbria, Durham and Northumberland, Carlisle City Council and Eden District Council.
• The North Pennines AONB Partnership is an alliance of 24 public, statutory and voluntary sector bodies with an interest in the future of the AONB. The work of the Partnership is carried out by its Staff Unit which takes action to conserve and enhance the natural beauty of the area, to raise awareness of its special qualities and to improve the quality of life for local people.
•  UNESCO Global Geopark – As well as being an AONB the North Pennines is a UNESCO Global Geopark. This puts the area’s Geopark status in the same UNESCO family as World Heritage Sites and Biosphere Reserves. UNESCO Global Geoparks are places with outstanding geology where special effort is made to make the most of geological heritage to support community and economy. Locally this includes producing geo-trails, developing projects with school and community groups, producing displays for visitor attractions and holding geology festivals and events.
• The North Pennines AONB Partnership and the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority are working with partner organisations to deliver a major natural heritage programme that focuses on the landscape and communities of Upper Teesdale and Swaledale. ‘Tees-Swale: naturally connected’ covers 829 square kilometres of Teesdale in the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Swaledale in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Inspired by the report ‘Making Space for Nature’, the programme aims to restore, expand and connect habitats across the uplands of Teesdale and Swaledale, showcasing how public funds can enhance wildlife and deliver multiple public benefits. The ethos of the programme is to work closely and in partnership with farmers, landowners and conservation agencies from the outset. In so doing, we will build the relationships and establish the skills required to sustain our ‘High Nature Value’ farming systems.
• High Nature Value farming is a term used to describe low intensity farming systems that are particularly valuable for wildlife, the environment and people. The concept of knowledge exchange will be a core principle of the programme, with farmers encouraged to share their land management skills and experience in order to target habitat improvement and restoration, in a way that allows the whole farm to work as a system.
• Through an innovative programme of interpretation, activities and rights of way improvements, we will enable people to discover, explore and enjoy the stunning landscape of Teesdale and Swaledale. At the heart of this will be a drive to reveal to visitors how this landscape is managed and why this is relevant to them. Opportunities will include on-farm activities and community-led environmental art. A comprehensive learning programme will see skills developed through traineeships, knowledge-exchange schemes and volunteering with the aim of building resilience within farming communities and empowering a future rural workforce.

• To find out more about Joanne Coates see her website: http://www.joannecoates.co.uk/
• To find out more about the Langdon Beck Hotel see their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LangdonBeckHotel/
• The Yorkshire Dales National Park is one of 15 National Parks in the UK. It is administered by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, which has two main purposes: “to conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage” and “to promote opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of the National Park”. In carrying out these purposes, the Authority has a duty “to seek to foster the economic and social wellbeing of local communities”. The National Park Authority comprises 25 members, made up of county and district councillors and members appointed by the Secretary of State for the Environment to represent parishes or in recognition of their specialist skills or knowledge. All of our work is guided by the vision for the future of the National Park set out in the Yorkshire Dales National Park Management Plan: “Through their passion for this special place, local people and businesses will keep the Yorkshire Dales National Park a thriving area. Its unique cultural landscape will be treasured for its stunning scenery, exceptional heritage and wonderful wildlife, and every year millions of people will be inspired to be a part of it.” www.yorkshiredalesmanagementplan.org.uk