Strong buyer competition at Hexham Auction Mart drove a busy annual October sale, with native-bred cattle meeting what Hexham and Northern Marts described as an “unrivalled trade”. The champion animal, a 12-month-old Angus cross steer from Charlotte Walton of Flotterton, sold for £2,450.
The sale took place on Friday 16 October 2026 and included store cattle, store sheep and a show and sale of native cattle. The mart said the entry of native-bred cattle was much larger than last year, while attendance from active purchasers created a large competition ring.
Flotterton takes the native cattle championship
Charlotte Walton’s steer won the overall championship and the Martin Wallace Memorial Cup. JRF Pattinson & Son of Hotbank, newcomers to the sale, took reserve with a Galloway steer. Their reserve champion sold to the judge for £1,880.
The native cattle show was judged by Neil and Michael Gibson of Willowford Farm, Jedburgh. The event was supported and sponsored by Rawburn Angus, RM Corbett Ltd and the Luing Cattle Society, and attracted producers from across the north of England and the Scottish Borders.
F T Walton of Flotterton won the Angus steer class, the pen of four Angus steers or heifers and the overall champion beast. J R F Pattinson & Son won the best other native steer or heifer class and the pen of four Hereford, Shorthorn or other native steers or heifers. R H Frater and Son took both first, second and third places in the Hereford steer or heifer class, while F Dixon & Sons won the Luing steer or heifer class.
Trade was led for the second consecutive week by I & A Hamilton of Claywalls, whose pair of Angus cross steers sold for £2,740. A steer from J Baxter of Kiln Hill made £2,720, while Blonde cross steers from P & P M Walker of Houselope Grange reached £2,660 and £2,620. SWS Agri Services of Arnold House sold Limousin cross steers to £2,580.
Other notable prices included £2,460 for a pure Angus heifer from JF & JK Hayward & Son of Fell House and £2,420 for another from the same home. A pen of seven 17-month Angus and Stabiliser-bred heifers from R Leiper & Co of Bygate sold for £2,290.
Store sheep also meet strong demand
Hexham and Northern Marts sold 1,959 cast ewes and tups to a strong trade. Dutch Texel cross ewes from J & A Moralee of Hard Riding topped the ewe sale at £268, with another pair from the same vendor reaching £262. Bluefaced Leicester ewes from T L Forster & Son of Lowes Fell sold to £238, while Suffolk cross ewes reached £212.
Cast rams continued to sell well, topping at £262 for Texels from S & K Carr of West Farm. The leading Cheviot ram price was £169 from Aydon North, while Blue Texel rams reached £162 from Mordington.
The mart’s store lamb sale included 7,503 lambs and produced a whole-sale average of £130.59 across all breeds, shapes and sizes. Bluefaced Leicester lambs from M & N Gray of Low Espley topped the sale at £220. The same vendor also sold Beltex cross lambs for £200 and £190.
Texel cross lambs from R Thornton & Sons of Cornhills reached £205 and £200. A run of 377 Texel cross and Beltex cross lambs from R L Riddle & Son of Blakelaw topped at £167 and averaged £154.19.
More than 1,000 Mule lambs were offered, averaging £119.77, while Suffolk cross lambs reached £139 from S G Brodie of Routin Lynn. Blackface lambs sold to £139 from Wanwood Partners of Wanwood Hill, and Cheviot lambs topped at £162 from Low Espley.
Next sale and entries
The next week’s sale was due to be the annual Tow Law sale, including a show for store cattle and suckled calves. The mart encouraged entries and asked vendors to contact the auctioneering team, with entries required by 10.30am on Monday for cataloguing.
Hexham and Northern Marts also announced a St Johns Chapel sale with more than 3,000 lambs entered. The report listed Drew Patrick on 07854 361967, Andrew Hutcheson on 07955 275403, Jack on 07739 440457, Harrison on 07895 761102 and Neil on 07955 268459 for enquiries and entries.