RARE breed sheep will feature in next month's Northumberland County Show.

Rebecca Wilson, of West Woodfoot Farm, Slaley, has a flock of 50 breeding ewes – specialising in rare breeds Teeswaters, Herdwicks, Cheviots, Kerry Hills and Llanwenogs – and has sponsored the new section through her business, Tynedale Rare Breeds.

She has lived in the Tyne Valley for 20 years but was brought up on Cotswold Farm Park in Gloucestershire where her father, Joe Henson, began keeping rare breeds in the 1960s.

"It started out as a hobby, with only two Gloucester cows and two Gloucester Old Spot pigs, but became a lifelong passion when he provided a home for a collection of rare breeds from nearby Whipsnade Zoo," said Rebecca.

In 1973, Mr Henson became a founder member of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST) and was honoured in 2011 for his outstanding contribution to the trust and, in the same year, received an MBE for his services to conservation.

Mr Henson died in 2015, but the family have donated a trophy in his name to the show.

His children have all pursued successful careers in agriculture and the environment. Rebecca’s sister, Libby Henson, who will judge the section, is an expert in rare breeds and director of pedigree software company Grassroots.

Louise Henson, is managing director of the Forest Peoples Programme, and farms rare breed cattle, while Adam Henson, who runs the family farm is a well-known author and presenter on BBC TV’s Countryfile programme.

Rebecca is delighted the show has agreed to run a British Rare Breed Sheep section.

She said: "I’m sure Dad would have approved. I have been spreading the word to breeders and I hope that we will see Manx Loaghtans, originally from the Isle of Man, they are a primitive breed with multiple horns; Boreray, Devon & Cornwall Longwool; Whiteface Woodlands and Castle Milk Moorits."

Robert Raine, vice-chairman of the show, said: "With the location of the show being close to the Herdwick breeding heartland of Cumbria, the Wensleydales from Yorkshire, plus the Northumbrian Cheviots, we expect some of the entrants will represent local sheep.

"Hopefully, however, we’ll see some really unusual sheep. It would be marvellous for the public to see all these rare breeds!"

The show is at Bywell Hall, near Stocksfield, on Bank Holiday Monday, May 29, from 9am until 6pm. The closing date for entries is April 29.