By: Blonde One
If you’ve ever walking in Princetown at the back of the Plume of Feathers pub on the track to South Hessary Tor you have probably come very close to some killer sheep! Yes, I know, it sounds incredible that on Dartmoor, so close to civilisation, there are some dangerous wild animals lurking around the corner! Let me explain.
I was sat with a walking companion on a little granite bench having my salt and vinegar crinkle cut crisps one Sunday afternoon waiting for a group of kids to come through, when a little woolly face appeared over the wall – I think he had heard the rustle of the crisp packet and come to make sure that they weren’t lamb flavour. We very politely said hello without realising the menace that lurked beneath the cute exterior. Very soon a few more sheeps faces appeared in a row over the wall. When they starting ‘baaing’ we soon realised that they were giving the ‘call to arms’ to their mates on the other side of the path, behind us. Before we knew it we were being watched from both sides. We were feeling slightly nervous at this point but tried to pretend we were fine, giving nervous laughs. The ring leader must have then given the attack signal (I don’t know what this is as I don’t speak sheep) as the sheep from the first field started to scramble over the wall! We quickly packed up our crisps and headed off down the track to the gate, whilst being closely followed by some trotting sheep. Now I may not speak sheep but I could tell that they had bad intentions. We tried shouting “mint sauce” and “roast lamb” in the hope that that would stop them, but it was clear that they don’t speak human either! Our pace increased until the gate was in sight, but more importantly there was a man and a dog coming the other way. Our hero, we thought! By this time our pace was at a jog, in an effort to outrun the little flock of killer sheep at our heals. When we got closer to the man and his dog we were dismayed to realise that he was wetting himself laughing! Instead of being our saviour he was too busy laughing at our plight! Despite this lack of assistance we reached the sanctuary of the gate, managed to get through it to safety and then watched the sheep saunter up to the gate, transformed to once again become the gentle fluffy creatures that we first thought they were! So beware, if you’re out walking in this area, don’t eat salt and vinegar crinkle cut crisps!
I have since wondered if this is the sort of rescue that the Dartmoor Rescue team get called to?!
How funny!!! Fortunately we don’t have problems with the sheep – we have Charlie to protect us and normally the sheep bolt off as soon as they see him!!! We have had a few scary run ins with cows on Dartmoor though. The worst was near Down Tor stone row and me and me girlies were out geocaching. We headed to this rock in the middle of nowhere and were so busy retrieving the box and signing the log we didn’t notice the cows!!!! When the cache was rehidden, I chucked my rucksack on my back and we were just about to set off towards Nuns Cross when I realised we were surrounded!!! No joke, this herd of cows and formed a circle around us all about 20m away. My girlies were still quite young (probably about 6 & 8) and were really quite scared. Of course, being mum I had to pretend there was nothing to worry about and I spotted a slightly bigger gap between a couple of cows and headed for that. We managed to get through but then the cows started to follow us. Aaaaah!!! Fortunately they got bored (or we had left their territory!) and they stopped! Charlie is no defender against cows – in fact I think it is he that attracts them!!!
Same area of Dartmoor though, so obviously there is something in the water there!!!
I was brought up in the South Wales valleys and in the town where I lived sheep used to roam the streets freely. I don’t recall seeing any sheep in fields there!
In the street where I lived was an old lady who was housebound and it was the custom in the valleys to leave your front door open in the summer.
While we were playing we heard some helpless cries coming from the old ladies house. Upon investigating we found the poor lady lying on the floor with her chair overturned. A sheep had gone into the house and knocked her off her chair!
So I know all about killer sheep!
That is funny and not funny all at once – the poor old lady but I bet you lads laughed!
I see a pattern forming here. I am reminded of the time Blonde One and I were up at the Staple Tors car park – we had already been out walking and had one more little bit planned to tick off another square in Dartmoor 365. As soon as we parked, the car was completely surrounded by ponies who looked quite persistent and a bit scary.
That square still remains unticked in my book – we made the excuse that it was getting too late (dimpsy) for the walk we had planned – but I know that it was the ponies that put me off!
Well you know what lads are like! Happily the old lady lived to sit in her chair another day! The sheep was unrepentant and looked for its next victim!
I always carry a bullock-whacker now. Long ago, on the Coast-to-Coast walk, I and my beeootiful Shanty got chased out of 7 fields in 3 days by bullocks. And at Shap Abbey, we gave up and took a 7 mile detour to avoid a BULL. He was probably very gentle, with a pretty ring in his nose and varnished toe-nails, but discretion, discretion.
Incidentally, who needed maps or navigation when they had a Shanty who always knew where her supper was – in the car – wherever we left it.