Hexham Auction Mart reported improved returns for store cattle and strong demand across its sheep sections at the Store Cattle and Store Sheep sale held on Friday 25 September 2026.
The mart said the cattle trade had strengthened during the week, reflecting the wider national trend. The overall cattle top was £2,620, achieved by Limousin Cross bullocks from I & A Hamilton of Claywalls. The consignment, described in the report as a well-presented run of 15 cattle, averaged £2,481.33.
Heifers reached £2,440, with the leading Aberdeen Angus supplied by regular consignor G & J H Tomlinson of Sunniside. The mart said the classes were proving highly attractive to buyers as the October cattle sales approached and encouraged vendors to enter stock for the next fixtures.
Store cattle prices across age groups
The report recorded a wide range of prices across age bands, breeds and farms. In the 30-month-and-over steer section, Aberdeen Angus Cross cattle reached £2,400 from Berwick Hill.
Among steers aged between 24 and 29 months, Aberdeen Angus reached £2,420 from Berwick Hill. Aberdeen Angus Cross steers from the same holding reached £2,400, with further prices recorded at £2,360 from Eslington High Hill, £2,340 from Berwick Hill and £2,200 from Redesmouth.
Limousin Cross steers in this age group reached £2,300 from Old Deanham, followed by £2,240 from the same farm. Simmental Cross cattle peaked at £2,160 from Eslington High Hill, while Charolais Cross steers reached £2,210 from Old Deanham. Hereford and Hereford Cross cattle reached £2,120 from Harbottle Grange, and Luing cattle reached £2,050 from Eslington High Hill.
In the 18-to-23-month section, Limousin Cross steers from Claywalls reached £2,620, matching the top price achieved by a Simmental Cross steer from the same holding. Claywalls also supplied an Aberdeen Angus Cross steer at £2,600 and a British Blue Cross at £2,460. Charolais Cross cattle from the holding reached £2,410.
Other notable prices in that age band included £2,330 for Aberdeen Angus Cross and Aberdeen Angus cattle from Harbottle Grange, £2,210 for Aberdeen Angus from the same farm, £2,120 for Hereford cattle and £2,080 for Salers Cross and Simmental Cross cattle. A Beef Shorthorn Cross from Thornley Hall Farm reached £1,850.
For 18-to-23-month heifers, Limousin Cross cattle reached £2,400 from Taylor Burn, with other leading prices of £2,280 from Old Deanham and Blackburn and £2,200 from Taylor Burn. Aberdeen Angus heifers reached £2,160 from China Hall, while Charolais Cross heifers reached £1,940 from Grange Farm.
The 11-to-17-month section included Charolais Cross steers to £2,410 from Claywalls and Limousin Cross steers to £2,390 from the same farm. Further Limousin Cross prices included £2,280 and £2,180 from Lough Green. Aberdeen Angus Cross steers reached £2,100 from Old Deanham, while Aberdeen Angus cattle reached £2,060 from Demesne.
Limousin Cross heifers in the same age category peaked at £2,420 from Taylor Burn. Other Taylor Burn entries reached £2,380, £2,240 and £2,220, while a Limousin Cross from Blackburn made £2,210. Charolais Cross heifers reached £2,100 from Grange Farm, and Aberdeen Angus Cross heifers reached £1,980 from Demesne.
In the youngest cattle category, covering animals aged 10 months and under, a Charolais Cross steer from Grange Farm reached £1,880.
Cast ewe and tup trade
The mart reported that 1,602 cast ewes and tups were sold in a sharper trade, with a full ringside of buyers seeking animals of different breeds, shapes and sizes.
Texel ewes led the section at £310 from B J Haigh of High Town. A pair of Texel ewes from C & C Farming of Flotterton Cottage reached £300, while Texels from Hallbankgate Farms and a trio from Hightown made £290.
Bluefaced Leicester ewes reached £191 for five from Link House Farm. Suffolk Cross ewes peaked at £244 for a pair from J R Walton of Grangemoor, followed by a further group from the same farm at £221. North of England Mule ewes reached £191 from Linkshead, while Blackface ewes sold to £160 for seven from H Brown of Chatto.
Other reported ewe prices included £278 for Dutch Texel Cross from West Side Farm, £249 for Bluefaced Leicester from Towdy Potts Farm, £240 for Texel Cross from Rosebrough and St Oswalds, and £240 for Charollais Cross from Hightown. Cheviot Mule ewes reached £179 from Errington Red House, Cheviot ewes £172 from Beamwham, and Zwartbles Cross ewes £170 from East Newham.
Cast tups also reached £310, paid for a pair of Dutch Texels from A Walby of West Side Farm. Bluefaced Leicester tups made £250 from Dunterley, while Texels from St Oswalds reached £250. Cheviot tups reached £230 from Dunterley, with Beltex at £198 from St Oswalds and Border Leicester at £195 from Town Head Farm.
The report also listed old-season hogg prices, including £185 for North of England Mules from Forge Cottage, £148 for Texel Cross from Hesleywell and £136 for Cheviot from Dunterley.
Store lamb show and sale
A catalogued entry of 7,080 store lambs was sold in what the mart described as another very strong trade. The sale included the annual Horned and Mule Lamb Show, judged by Andrew Hutcheson of Raven Hill.
The champion pen was the first-prize group of 30 Blackface lambs from J A I & D J Scott of The Brigg. Those lambs sold for £145. The reserve champion was the first-prize pen of 43 Mule lambs from Reed Partners of Dyke Nook, which made £134.
The overall store lamb top price was £210 for a Bluefaced Leicester lamb from J W R & M Suddes of Towdy Potts Farm. Texel Cross lambs reached £174 from J Browell & Son of Quarry House. Two Texel entries from D J & W Sedgewick of Errington Red House reached £169 and £168.
Beltex Cross lambs sold to £162 for eight from J Lee & Sons of Agars Hill. A pen of 33 Texel Cross lambs from R J Bradbury of Black Heddon also reached £162; the vendor sold 49 lambs at an average of £159.39.
Suffolk Cross lambs reached £160 for 41 from R W Gray of Great Ryle. That vendor’s run of 167 lambs averaged £151.22. Cheviot Mule lambs reached £146 for six from V S Allgood of Reavley Farm, while Cheviot lambs reached £138 from Greenchesters.
Mule lambs sold to £136 for six from B N & S Urwin of Lynnshield. Other leading results included £162 for Beltex Cross from Low Espley, £151 for Blue Texel from Whitton Glebe, £145 for Blackface from The Brigg, £142 for Suffolk from Great Ryle and £140 for Charollais Cross from Comb Hills.
The mart said Cheviot lambs were continuing to sell quickly at Hexham and urged vendors to keep entering lambs to meet growing demand. It also invited entries for the next show sale, scheduled for the following Friday, with vendors directed to auctioneers Andrew Hutcheson and Drew Patrick.