The 'giant' Yorkshire farmer who is a champion of the Swaledales’ breed

Matt Mason of Low Hall Farm, Appletreewick took over the farm from his father William ‘Bill’ Mason in the 70s and has passed on the day-to-day running of the farm today to his son Ted, another legend of Kilnsey Show, as one of the UK’s top fell runners, and currently leading the league table.

“I’ve been to every Kilnsey Show since I was born,” says Matt. “My first one would have been autumn 1955, even before my father bought this farm in 1956.

"I never showed sheep until much later in my life, but I was helping put the show up in my teens while with Upper Wharfedale YFC and I’ve been stewarding since I was in my 20s.

“I was chief sheep steward up until three years ago, which was always a full-on day. For a lot of years I’d never got around the show because by the time I was done with stewarding and looking after the judges for a spot of lunch, and then going back in the pens for the interbreed, it would by then be getting on towards the Fell Race that many a time I’d want to see, particularly with Ted running.

“I’m now just stewarding the Swaledales and so I get a bit more time, or that’s the hope, and this year I’m actually showing a 60 year old Land Rover in a vintage class of some sort, which might see me going around the ring taking the grandchildren with me.”

Matt is officially President Elect this year, taking up those duties in 2025 for a two year term.

“It’s an honour to have been asked,” says Matt. “I’m looking forward to it greatly. It’s a great show that comes back alive for the evening when the harness racing starts after the foot races.”

Swaledale sheep have always been Matt’s thing and his show career elsewhere is littered with judging invitations that he has taken up over the years all around the UK.

“Swaledale is my breed. We have 700 Swaledale breeding ewes on our 1200 acres in Appletreewick and various other spots and I’ve been lucky enough to judge the breed all over the country as far as the Royal Highland Show, the Royal Show when it was on the go, and the Great Yorkshire Show.”

Matt also tells of having judged in the heart of Swaledale country where the competition is a completely different league.

“I’ve judged at Muker and at Moorcock (twice). If you’re around the markets selling decent sheep people think you’re capable of judging and you get asked to do it. I think it’s a brilliant thing to do and I love doing it.

Matt says he also enjoys the annual Swaledale tup sales.

“I’ve always sold Swaledale tups, mainly at Hawes, but also Kirkby Stephen and sometimes Middleton in Teesdale. I was on the management committee of Swaledale Sheep Breeders Association for 20 years and on B District committee for over 30 years.

“The best priced tup I sold went for £15,500, but it was a lot of years ago now. That was at Hawes. I once bought a half share in one at £22,000, but I’m curbing back to spending about £5000-6000 on one these days.

“The thing with tup sales is that some you’ve got to write off and some earn you money and over the years I’ve done okay. I’ve bought at £6000 and only used the tup once and then some I’ve bought for £1200 have done extremely well.

“When you’re involved and know your breed you can see what’s in them, but the money moving around sometimes makes them expensive. It’s partially gambling, and it has a buzz to it that I Iove.

“You get some great auctioneers, but the most important thing is that they’ve got to understand the sheep they’re selling and know which ones will go. John Cloughton was the superstar at it.”

Matt says he never thought of anything else but farming. He left school at 15 and has never done any different.

“I’m the youngest of five but none of my siblings followed the farming route. I studied at Craven College one day a week for about three years.

“Since I took over from my dad we have added more land from around here and further out. Like most other villages there were six farms in Appletreewick when I was younger and there are just two now.

“We gave up milking cows 34 years ago and we had a suckler herd instead until the headage payment went and without that on suckler cows I didn’t see a lot of return in them. We continued with cattle going into the stores market for another ten years and eight years ago I decided we weren’t making any money from them so we gave up with cattle.

“We now only farm sheep and are in stewardship schemes, which are either down to no stocking or low stocking. Our land is here at Appletreewick, a block of land at Kettlewell that goes quite a lot higher than here and a block of land towards Hagdyke Farm.”

Swaledales make up the lion’s share of Matt and Ted’s operation.

“We have 950 ewes of which 700 are Swaledales, the others are Mules and Texel-cross. We try to breed quality Swaledale tups. We’ve reduced our Swaley numbers as I’m 70 next birthday and I’m not as keen on work as I used to be.

"We’ve wound it into a one-man band rather than taking on staff. Ted’s happy to run it and have me as his sidekick.

“We sell fatstock and breeding stock. The bulk of it goes through Craven Cattle Marts (CCM) at Skipton livestock market. We lamb starting in April in one whole batch, outside, so we wait for the daylight.

“We just got our first 200 lambs away into the stores market at Skipton last week. The sheep job is very buoyant at the moment but a lot of Swaledale lambs will not be sold until after Christmas and I want to get them all to 40 kilos. I like livestock markets rather than selling direct and Skipton is just ten miles away.”

Matt and his wife Helen had Masons Campsite next door to the farm but sold it 17 years ago.

“Helen ran it and decided it needed to move on and go to online booking and card payments. We gave the kids chance to take it over before we sold it. It was a good earner and still is.

“Ted is the oldest of our three lads that also includes Adam and Jim; and we have our daughter Elizabeth.

"Our Jim uses some of the farm buildings for his business as he’s a joiner and cabinet maker. Ted, lives with his partner Lucy next door.