“It’s not quite Clarkson’s Farm but..." Yorkshire Dales farmers star in new documentary

Manchester-based production company Film on the Brain made a short film for each season of the year, capturing the men working with a backdrop of barns, drystone walls, flower-rich meadows and moorland. These have now been edited together to make one 27-minute film called ‘Farming Through The Seasons’ which has been commissioned by the National Park Authority.

Stephen Bostock said: “It’s not quite Clarkson’s Farm but it is another perspective on farming. The film puts across the costs and hardships of hill farming, but also the more enjoyable parts it.

“We didn’t realise all it would entail when we said ‘yes’, but we’re pleased with how it’s turned out. We agreed to it because we thought it would help promote farming, especially our type of hill farming. It’s about farming and conservation, and in the future farming certainly needs to go hand-in-hand with conservation to be successful.”

He added: “I think it’s important that hill farming is promoted as even though we call it a way of life, we’ve got to make a living. People need to realise what hill farmers do to contribute to the upkeep of the countryside.

"It can be easy to take the landscape and the heritage for granted, but the landscape we have – the barns, the walls – is down to generations of farmers.”

The film is narrated by Stephen and Dave to the backdrop of nature, wildlife, sheepdogs, lambs, birds singing and meandering streams.

It also looks at the challenges of each season and current issues such as weather, grass shortages, working during darker days and nights and caring for animals over several miles of land.

Matthew Wood from Film on the Brain said: “Producing this documentary with the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority was a real privilege. We get to meet a lot of amazing people in our line of work but rarely do we stay with them for so long. Having the chance to revisit David and Stephen, we got very close with them.

“We realised while filming how important it was to get a raw and honest portrayal of what life is like on a hill farm. Having now completed the film, it's a great reminder of how many stories there are to be told throughout Yorkshire, and a great reminder of the hardworking individuals behind farming and the challenges it brings year round.

“We really hope this speaks to an audience who are interested in both the heritage and traditional practice while also getting a wonderful insight into the people and generations behind hill farming in the Yorkshire Dales.”

The Farming Through The Seasons film can be seen on the National Park Authority’s YouTube channel whilst Film on The Brain says it intends to submit the piece to Kendal Mountain Festival for showing at November’s festival.