On Tuesday Hexham and Norhtern Marts held their weekly sale of prime sheep and cattle.

Another good selection of butchers heifers this week that topped at 221.5ppk with a Limousin x from M/s GR Scott & Son, Corneyside, Matfen.

Limousin heifers: £1329, £1171.79 & £1156.91 Corneyside. 221.5p, 211.5p &204.5p Corneyside. Charolais heifers: £1305.19, £1155.95 & £1127.91 Flotterton. 209.5p, 196.5p & 189.5p Flotterton.

OTM. Smaller but better entry of cows this week with all classes sharper again.

Topping the sale was a tremendous British Blue x cow from M/s J&A Moralee, Hard Riding selling for 145.5ppk or £1230.93.

Second most grossing cow came from M/s WD & B Thompson, East Unthank, Haltwhistle selling for £1165.09. Limousin: £1165.09 East Unthank, £979.02 East Butsfield, £948 Burnbank, £912.45 & £849.65 Thockrington, £833.45 & £827.45 East Butsfield, £801.13 Nunwick. 131.5p East Unthank, 129.5p & 123.5p East Butsfield, 118.5p Thockrington & Burnbank, 115.5p Thockrington, 111.5p Greencarts, 110.5p Nunwick, 105.5p East Butsfield. Angus: £991.85 & 119.5p Flotterton. British Blue: £1230.93 Hard Riding, £1128.27 Nunwick, £926.82 Allotment, £870.97 Nunwick. 145.5p Hard Riding, 135.5p Allotment, 131.5p & 125.5p Nunwick. Simmental: £886.80 Allotment. Galloway: £802.86 Middle Horsleyhope.

Prime sheep and hoggs.

A smaller but better show of hoggs forward and the average rose by 10p on the week. SQQ 210.5p

Top price was £111 for a tremendous pen from Nunwick (258.1p).

Texel x: £111 Nunwick, £105 The Fawns, £103 Nunwick, £101 Low Ardley, £100 Low Ardley & Kellah, £98 Nunwick & Low Ardley, £95 High Eshells, The Fawns, Great Bavington (x2) & Broomhall, £94.50 Kellah, £94 Low West House, £93 The Fawns & Great Bavington, £92 Low West House, Baal Hill (x2) & Broomhall, £90 High Eshells, Great Bavington & Middle Heads (x2), £89.50 Low West House, £89 High Eshells, £88.50 Aydonshields, £88 High Eshells & Kellah (x2), £87.50 Aydonshields, £87 High Eshells & Great Bavington, £86.50 West Shields (x3), £86 Great Bavington, St Oswalds & West Shields, £84.50 St Oswalds, £84 Great Bavington, Middle Heads (x2) & Broomhall, £83.50 Burntongues, £83 Burntongues & West Shields, £82.50 West Shields, £80.50 Aydonshields, £80 Burntongues & West Shields. 258.1p Nunwick, 254.1p Low West House, 250p Kellah, 244.2p The Fawns, 239.5p Nunwick, 233.3p & 227.3p Low Ardley, 226.3p St Oswalds, 226.2P Great Bavington, 222.7p Nunwick, 222.2p West Shields, 219.1p Low West House, 214.3p Great Bavington, 214.3p Aydonshields, 212.2p High Eshells, 211.1p The Fawns, 208.1p Low West House, 204.9p Broomhall, 201.2p West Shields, 201.1p Kellah, 200p Low Ardley & St Oswalds, 197.9p The Fawns, 196.6p West Shields (x2), 193p Burntongues, 192.2p West Shields, 187.5p Middle Heads (x2), 187.2p Aydonshields & High Eshells, 184.2p Low Ardley, 184p Baal Hill (x2), 182.7p Great Bavington, 179.8p St Oswalds, 179.6p Kellah, 178.7p & 177.6p Great Bavington, 177.2p Low Ardley, 177p Aydonshields. Suffolk x: £95 The Fawns, £92 Middle Heads, £90 Baal Hill £82 Middle Heads, £81.50 & £81 Great Bavington. 215.9p The Fawns, 198.8p & 197.6p Great Bavington, 176.5p Baal Hill. Beltex x:£108 St Oswalds, £100 & £95 Low West House, £90 St Oswalds.

256.8p Low West House, 251.2p St Oswalds, 243.9p Low West House, 219.5p St Oswalds. Cheviot x: £80.50 & £78 Flotterton. 205.3p & 201.3p Flotterton. Mule: £79 & 183.7p Baal Hill. Blackface: £81.50 & 185.2p Broomhall.

On Friday 1 Hexham & Northern Marts offered a reduced entry of 185 head of store cattle due largely to inclement weather however buyers were plentiful in number and keen at the ringside.

The sale peaked at £1355 for a pair of super Charolais cross bred steers from Jimmy Walton, Flotterton at 16 months of age. These were followed by the dearest Limousin cross on the day; a 20-month-old bullock at £1330 from Willie Patterson, Halton Red House.

The dearest heifer was a big Angus cross lady from Messrs Watmore, Holystone Estate which sold at £1320 and headed up a superb run of 14 all by pedigree Angus bulls which averaged a worthy £1153 at 20 months.

The younger entry was dominated by a smart run of yearling type Limousin cross steers from the three generations involved in the Common family farming operation at Low Ardley, Hexhamshire; Father Thomas, Son Graham and Granddaughter Gemma. A tremendous run of 14 were presented, all with shape and style to peak at £1250 at 12 months of age and average £1132 per head representing a significant increase on the year.

Cattle 23 – 30 months. Limousin x heifers: £1290 & £1215 Ingoe Low Hall. Angus x heifers: £1220, £1135, £1130, £1120 & £1100 Holystone.

Cattle 17 – 22 months. Charolais x steers: £1310 Flotterton, £1185 & £1100 Kirkley March. Charolais x heifers: £1165, £1155 & £1125 Edlingham Newtown. Limousin x steers: £1330 Halton Red House, £1300 Ingoe Low Hall, £1280 Halton Red House, £1270 Luns House & Halton Red House, £1260 Luns House, £1255 Ingoe Low Hall, £1245 & £1210 Luns House, £1180 Kirkley March, £1175 & £1165 East Uppertown, £1150, £1140 (x2) & £1100 Kirkley March, £1095 East Uppertown, £1010 East Kildarroch. Limousin x heifers: £1080 Ingoe Low Hall, £1050 Edlingham Newtown, £1045 Allendale Farm. Angus x steers: £1070 Allendale Farm, £1035 Brackenthwaite, £1030 Allendale Farm. Angus x heifers: £1320, £1240, £1200 (x2) & £1120 Holystone. Hereford x steers: £1025 Chatton Park.

Cattle 11 – 16 months. Charolais x steers: £1355 & £1280 Flotterton. Charolais x heifers: £1005 & £960 Edlingham Newtown. Limousin x steers: £1250, £1200, £1170, £1165 (x2), £1160, £1140, £1135 & £1125 Low Ardley, £1110 Stotsfold, £1100 Low Ardley, £1090 & £1085 Stotsfold, £1080 & £1075 Low Ardley, £1065 Stotsfold, £1045 Low Ardley, £1040 Stotsfold & Low Ardley, £1025 East Uppertown, £1010 Stotsfold, £980 Brackenthwaite. Limousin x heifers: £1045 & £1040 Stotsfold. British Blue x heifers: £1005 Edlingham Newtown.

Cattle 10 months and under. Angus x steers: £885 Ingram.

Store sheep and cast ewes.

Numbers affected by the weather this week with only 300 ewes able to get to the sale. Bigger, heavier ewes would be slightly sharper as would cast tups.

Topping the sale was a pen of Texel x ewes from Mr RS Walton, Coatyards, Netherwitton selling for £120.

Texel: £108 Troughend, £87 Coatyards, £78 Shaftoe Moor, £76 Thrunton, £70 Coatyards. Texel x: £120 & £99 Coatyards, £95 Thrunton, £90 Mount Huly, £88 Little Swinburne, £82 Berwick Hill, £81 Little Swinburne, £78 Yetlington Lane & Bankfoot, £72 Little Swinburne, £71 Low Eshells, £70 Little Swinburne & Bankfoot, £69 Watch Hill. Suffolk x: £90 Glendale, £84 Thrunton, £83 Low Eshells, £71 (x2) Yetlington Lane. Beltex: £102 Little Swinburne. Leicester: £82 & £78 White House Eastgate. Cheviot mule: £56 Barrasford Green. Mule: £65 Berwick Hill, £62 (x2) Troughend, £61 Low Eshells & Coatyards, £60 Low Eshells & Shaftoe Moor, £59 White House Eastgate, £55 Harewalls, £54 Whittonstone, £52 Coatyards, £51 Thrunton. Blackface: £64 & £63 Troughend, £46 Whittonstone, £40 Troughend. Swaledale: £34 White House Eastgate, £30 Parkside. Crossbred: £86 Highfield, £71 & £69 Mount Huly.