On Friday Hexham & Northern Marts at their final store cattle sale of 2018 offered a small catalogue of 77 head which included the full spectrum in terms of quality.

Both steer and heifer trade peaked at £1250 per head and both from the same regular consignors to the Hexham ring; Messrs Milburn, Holling Hill, near Rothbury. Their lead steer was a shapely 20 month old red Limousin cross beast whilst brothers Derek and Vincent Milburn also flew the flag for the Charolais breed on the day with a hefty silver-grey lady sired by the white bull that reached the same figure at the same age.

A nice run of six heifers at sixteen months were brought forward by John Reay, St. Oswalds Farm, Chollerford and the cattle; three Limousin cross and three British Blue cross that had been summered alongside the Roman Wall sold well on the day to peak at £1050 and average £935 throughout.

Cattle 23 – 30 Months. Limousin x steers: £1195 Holling Hill. Limousin x heifers: £1230 Holling Hill.

Cattle 17 – 22 Months. Charolais x heifers: £1250, £1230 (x2) & £1205 Holling Hill. Limousin x steers: £1250 & £1200 (x2) Holling Hill. Limousin x heifers: £1165 Holling Hill. British Blue x heifers: £1050 & £940 (x2) St Oswalds. Angus x heifers: £1000 Leazes Farm. South Devon x steers: £1060 & £1045 Wingates Wholme. Belted Galloway steers: £675 Spittalshield. Luing steers: £870 & £810 Low Chesterhope.

Cattle 11 – 16 Months. Charolais x steers: £840 Harewalls. Limousin x heifers: £995 Cowbyre, £945 & £865 St Oswalds. Angus x heifers: £760 China Hall.

Store sheep and case ewes.

A small show of cast sheep before the Christmas period that met a similar trade to previous weeks.

Texel x: £115 East House, £98 Broomhall, £92 & £88 Rusheylaw, £85 & £79 East House, £78 Linacres & Heatherwick, £76 Linacres, £75 Elrington Hall. Suffolk x: £96 Broomhall, £72 Felton Demesne. Cheviot: £68 Heatherwick. SC Cheviot: £67 & £60 Heatherwick, £55 Flotterton. Mule: £72 Broomhall, £65 Fairley, £62 Linacres, £60 Fairley. Blackface: £60 Broomhope. Crossbred: £88 Paxton Dene, £81 Heatherwick.

Store lambs. Few store sheep forward to the sale before Christmas but all keenly sought after with trade even dearer than last week for all types with the sale averaging £68.23

Sale topped at £90 for Suffolk lambs from M/s A&CL Bell, Woodhall, Bardon Mill.

Texel: £80 Whiteside Birtley. Texel x: £86 Chapel House, £85 Falstone Farm, £84.50 Elrington Hall, £84 Fallowlee, £83 Salmonswell, £80 Chapel House, Salmonswell & Houxty House, £79 Falstone Farm, £78 Rosehill, Salmonswell & Healeycote, £76.50 Paxton Dene & Hopesley House, £76 Errington Red House, £75.50 Rosehill, £75 Salmonswell, High Yarridge & Houxty House. Suffolk x: £90 Woodhall, £77 Woodhall & High Yarridge, £75.50 Keld, £73 Carry House, £69.50 & £69 Fairley. Beltex x: £89, £77 & £74 The Throp. Cheviot x: £61.50 North Churchlands. SC Cheviot: £77.50 (x2) Flotterton. Mule: £79 Townfoot Woodburn, £76.50 Blackhill, £73 Rosehill, £71 Errington Red House, £70 Low Carriteth, £69.50 Carry House, £68.50 Rosehill, £67 Carry House, £66 Woodhall, £64 Low Carriteth, £60 Whitshields & Whiteside Birtley (x2). Blackface: £61.50 Townfoot. Woodburn, £49 Whiteside Birtley. Crossbred: £56 North Churchlands.