Sheep Return to Bideford Bridge in Celebration of 555 Years of Westcountry Wool Heritage
A centuries-old tradition will return to North Devon when sheep are driven across Bideford Bridge during the Bideford Town Fair on Saturday 6 June at 10.00am.
The ceremonial sheep drive, last undertaken in 2012, will be led by the historic Incorporation of Weavers, Fullers and Shearmen as part of celebrations marking 555 years since the Guild was gifted land in Exeter on which it built the magnificent Tuckers Hall - the medieval home of the Incorporation and one of the country’s most important surviving guild halls.
The event revives a historic right and tradition exercised by the Incorporation, with the agreement of the Bideford Bridge Trust, to drive sheep across the ancient bridge - a powerful reminder of the vital role the wool trade once played in the prosperity of Devon and the wider Westcountry.
For centuries, wool was at the heart of the region’s economy. Sheep raised across Devon and surrounding counties supplied raw fleeces that were transported to Exeter, then one of England’s foremost wool and cloth trading centres. There, skilled weavers, fullers and shearmen transformed the wool into finished cloth which was exported across Britain and overseas markets.
The sheep drive across Bideford Bridge (sheep kindly provided by Clovelly based Come Bye) will celebrate that rich heritage while bringing history vividly to life for visitors attending this year’s Bideford Town Fair.
Members of the Incorporation, some dressed in ceremonial robes, will accompany the sheep procession over the historic bridge in a spectacle expected to attract large crowds and media interest.
Spokesperson for the Incorporation Julian Tagg, Master said: “This event is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate Devon’s remarkable wool heritage and to honour the traditions of the Incorporation, which has played an important role in Exeter’s history for more than five centuries. The sheep drive symbolises the historic importance of the wool trade to communities across the Westcountry, including Bideford and Exeter.”
The ceremony also highlights the enduring connection between North Devon and Exeter through trade, craftsmanship and shared history. In 1573 Bideford Bridge was rebuilt with the Incorporation’s help to ensure it could continue using the bridge.
Later that decade the Incorporation contracted to pay 10 shillings per annum towards the maintenance of the bridge, it being a vital link used by members to import wool from Ireland and then export the finished cloth.
The Incorporation has records of this annual payment - now 50p - since 1614.
Spectators are encouraged to arrive early to secure a good viewing position ahead of the 10.00am start.
