Chaos as flock of 300 sheep brings traffic in small Yorkshire town to standstill

‘Things like this are what make the Yorkshire Dales so wonderful,’ says local man who recorded footage

Chaos erupted earlier today as more than 300 sheep brought traffic in a small town in the Yorkshire Dales to a standstill.

Tim Lee said he rushed out of his house as soon as he heard the flock of sheep storming through the street to see the “incredible sight”.

At least 300 sheep can be seen in a video, recorded by Mr Lee, flooding the narrow streets of Hawes, a tiny town situated just south of the River Ure in North Yorkshire.

The sheep are herded down to a farm in a lower and warmer area during winter as temperatures begin to drop.

Mr Lee said he relishes seeing the animals shuffling downhill as it reminds him of “times gone by”.

Mr Lee said: “I’m local to Hawes so I’ve had the privilege of seeing the sheep flock a few times in my life - but it never gets old.

“There are about 300 sheep in the flock and it’s an incredible sight to behold.

“We’ve become so urbanised that you don’t really see things like this - it’s a nice reminder of times gone by."

The sheep are herded down to lower lands during winter as temperatures drop, and can surprise motorists driving through the village.

Mr Lee added: “It’s a unique experience but you never know when it will happen so it’s always a nice surprise.”

The sheep were on their way to a new farm (SWNS/Tim Lee)

The former pub manager said he rushed out as soon as he heard the sheep on the afternoon of Monday 19 October.

He said: “As soon as I heard baas I knew they were coming so I rushed outside to take the video.

“It’s not every day you see something like that so I wanted to make sure I captured it.

“I think it’s just a bit of a funny sight - you’ve got all of these people in cars confused as traffic comes to a standstill.

“You wonder why and it’s just 300 sheep making their way around.”

He added: “Things like this are what make the Yorkshire Dales so wonderful.”

SWNS