A Shepherd's Watch: Through the Seasons with One Man and His Dogs

by David Kennard

At Borough Farm, on North Devon's rugged, spectacular coast, David Kennard and his dogs are embarking on a new shepherding year.

Part diary of one man and his remarkable dogs, part Herriot-like homage to the countryside and its characters, A Shepherd's Watch is that rare thing: a portrait of a real life that is at once authentic and evocative, warm, and compelling. Here, David Kennard presents twelve months with his working sheepdogs, Greg, Swift, Gail, Fern, and Ernie, as they face a never-ending series of challenges: from rescuing ewes stranded on the Atlantic cliffs to running the gauntlet of psychopathic rams and officious farm inspectors, from spring lambing and summertime shearing to fending off the ever-present threats nature has in store for the 850-strong flock. All this, in the midst of a harsh economic climate for farming and a landscape that is among the most picturesque, yet wildly unpredictable, in the British Isles.

David Kennard has been a shepherd since he left school at the age of seventeen. In this, his first book, he draws on half a lifetime's experience to paint an honest and affectionate, often comic picture of a year in the life of a sheep farm and its very different canine and human personalities. As he follows the changing seasons, observing nature's inexorable journey through the dark days of winter to the rebirth and renewal of spring, he also offers a gentle meditation on man's relationship with his environment, and a poignant elegy to a rural way of life.

Genres: Nonfiction, Dogs, Nature, Biography, British Literature, Animals

192 pages, Hardcover

First published March 29, 2004

About the author

David Kennard and his family farm at Borough Farm on the beautiful, rugged North Devon coast. The farm is home to a flock of 700 breeding ewes, plus their lambs which graze across over 400 acres. Working with David is his team of 9 sheepdogs, ranging from retiree Fern, now 11 years old, down Zola and Colin who were born in February 2011.

Reviews

[W · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and unusual subject matter.
One man and his dogs face an endless series of challenges as he tends to his sheep on a farm.

Though surrounded by nature's beauty,the farm faces the threats posed by nature as well.

It is a bit reminiscent of James Herriot and his writings about animals and the countryside. It is a tribute to a way of life that has all but vanished.

[Jaci · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Kennard documents his life raising sheep in Devon, England, over the course of one year. The seasons each bring challenges which are met by Kennard, his family, and his dogs. It's a beautiful picture of country life and animal husbandry, not romanticizing the work involved but demonstrating commitment to a vanishing life style. Great read.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book outlines one year, starting in Autumn, of a shepherd's life in North Devon (on the coast of Britain). While the dogs (5 border collies named Greg, Swift, Gail, Fern, and Ernie) feature prominently in this book, there is also much about the sheep and sheep farming within these pages. I think the book really makes a good point about the working shepherd's life: it's not all about the dogs. They certainly play an important role. They're both companion and coworker, but tending to the sheep is the main job of the shepherd. Here you learn about sheep dips, foot bathes, shearing, and all sorts of other things that being a shepherd is about. The book also describes much about the working border collie's life and some tidbits about sheepdog trials as the author is also sometimes involved in those.

I found this a fascinating read. I'm very much interested in reading his other books.

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a random book I read at an Airbnb in Iceland. It surprised me both by being highly entertaining, while also being educational. I learned a lot about sheep and sheep dogs - highly fitting while at an airbnb with three sheep roaming the garden, and a border collie that showed up to play on the first evening.
It's well written, and has a bunch of hilarious anecdotes. I didn't realize how much I don't know about farming, and this was an interesting insight.

[Dottie Corley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Shepherd's Journal

This book reads like a journal a shepherd might keep. Very informative if you're interested in learning about the subject. Good stories but not a lot of drama. Still a good read.

[Catsalive · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting memoir that follows a year in the life of a sheep farmer in Devon. What a hard life it is, at the mercy of the elements & all the diseases to which sheep are prone, constant changes & challenges. A shepherd certainly couldn't do it without his brilliant dogs, & I loved reading about Gail, Swift, Ernie, Fern & Greg, & was so happy with Ernie's success in the end. The author notes: "It's a sobering, saddening thought, but I do sometimes wonder whether I represent one of the last generations of shepherds." I think he may well be part of an ever-decreasing way of life.

[Lizzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written, interesting and educational...who knew so much could go wrong with sheep! They always look so simple. I loved all the dog stuff- I always wondered how you started training them with the whistles... this book eloquently answered this question and so many others I didn't know I had. The photographs are lovely.

[Kentishman · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable read.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book with all the details of nature he observed throughout his journey raising sheep with his family.

[Sam Rae · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok for someone who doesn't know anything.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Life of a Shepherd, the ups the downs, the seasons in and out. Really enjoyed this nonfiction book.

[Mary Van · Rating 5 out of 5]

Different kind of book. I loved it!

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book about a year in the life of a working shepherd. Although the subtitle indicates that it talks about the shepherd and his dogs, the sheepdogs are only one part of the story, which comprises sheep, and the turning of the seasons, and David's family.

It is a warm cosy book that leads you season by season through the usual happenings of a sheep farm. Kennard writes honestly and frankly about how much hard work it involves; how little money he takes; how the work of moments can damage a whole season.

There are touching stories about his sheepdogs, and I think a lot of readers will have sympathy for the plight of Ernie, a young dog who is a little too eager about herding sheep.

Kennard also writes about a few of the sheepdog trials he enters, and how effective his dogs turn out to be.

There is gentle humour and simplistic language which makes it a fast and easy read.

I have my complaints, it was certainly not the perfect book! Kennard's dialogue is stilted and difficult to read without smiling (and for all the wrong reasons!) However, I am willing to cut him some slack because he is not a natural author, and the dialogue is a small part of the overall book.

It was diverting enough for an afternoon's read, but I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend unless someone specifically wanted a book about sheep herding.

[Lizzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kennard is a great storyteller. I first discovered his farm via the short BBC series called Mist. It's a series meant for children, but I have a soft spot for it. His first book, on the other hand, talks about life on a sheep farm in England. It covers a year in the life of a farmer, and how he relies on his sheepdogs. Kennard paints a beautiful picture of his farm, and the animals on it. He also discusses how sheep farming is no longer enough to provide for a family. In one section, he even states that he doesn't encourage his children to take over the farm once he's ready to retire. I think it says a lot that a man who has dedicated his life to this farm doesn't want his children to take over because he's worried that they won't be able to support themselves.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved it. At first it seemed to be more information than I wanted to know. But he is a really good writer and drew me into his world. I learned so much! Sad to learn that it is a vanshing profession in the UK, as profits aren't great enough to live on any more. I'm really glad I read it. There aren't a lot of pictures but the ones that there are are topnotch and show the gorgeous Devon coastline where he grazes his sheep. It is a grueling profession requring tremendous stength, stamina, and commitment and I'll never see sheep in quite the same way again, after reading it.

[Denise McLeod · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all the David Kennard books. Its a true inspiration in itself that he has gone from farmer, struggling with the hardships, the rise and falls of prospects for farmers, hardship and loss, to someone who writes books that make you laugh out loud. And yt he still farms. A trull yinspirational guy in my view and a brilliantly written, jearfult read. I love sheepdogs, I love the attitude of farmers, I live the twists and turns in this book. Its brilliant. A good, light, fun read that will make yo laugh and cry too. Brilliant.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kennard's style is strAightforward and honest, respectful and loving. He doesn't romanticize his life although he very easily could. I enjoyed most when he described the dogs. His stories about the amount of work it takes to have a working sheep farm were overwhelming enough to make you wonder why the heck anyone would ever want to do that. And yet from his writing I can tell amidst all the drudgery and work there are many special moments that make it worthwhile for him personally.

[Carol D · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is about a man and his five collies sheep herding on an isolated farm in North Devon, England. There are sheep herding trials, seasonal breeding 'tupping', buying rams and selling ewes, bottle feeding lambs, shearing adventures and working herding dogs. Descriptive writing of life in the fields, recuing lambs off of precarious ocean cliffs and quiet family farm life. It was interesting, though a bit slow at times.

[Cat Urbigkit · Rating 1 out of 5]

Such a beautiful volume, but I've been disappointed in the content. I really enjoy the details of daily life with the flocks, but feel like the author discounts the intelligence of the animals he works with.

[Magda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite different from the Herriot books, naturally, but thoroughly enjoyable in a different way. I especially loved the sheepdog trials, and I'm pretty sure that's what the author loved, too. The whole tone of the storytelling changed for those chapters.

[JackieB · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this and thought it was a pleasant example of the "James Herriot" style of memoir (although I suspect David Kennard could be rather fed up with that description). Mr Kennard had an agreeable writing style and an interesting (and fast disappearing) way of life.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Life got in the way and I never started this back in November, but when I did it just took a couple of sessions to read. A lovely, honest, human account of a year in the life of a shepherd in North Devon - the good, the bad and the sometimes ugly. Not a tear-jerker though. Heart-warming.

[Sally Higgins · Rating 5 out of 5]

A treasure

Shepherding with sheepdogs - informative, funny, gritty and generous, this book would be enjoyed immensely by animal fans but likely a very rewarding read for anyone at all.

[TheIron Paw · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great description of a year in the life of a shepherd. It's largely, but not completely, about his dogs, including good accounts of trialing. Has some great photography as well.

[Niki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love books about animals. After this reading this I found myself looking up sheep shearing and herd dogs on you tube.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

i wouldn't really recommend this book to friends (except if they are interested in this topic) but for a book about sheep and a shepherd it's really good hence four stars.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written. An inside look at sheep raising for a living. There was more too it than I knew, of course. I liked it.