Quality and community at the heart of Leyburn Auction Mart

With a reputation for trading quality livestock and a traditional town centre location, Leyburn auction mart is the beating heart of the local farming community.

Situated at the gateway to the Yorkshire Dales, it has played an integral role in the local farming community for more than 100 years.

As one of a handful of town centre auction marts left in the country, it has remained at its Richmond Road site since its establishment in 1918.

The mart is run by manager and head auctioneer, Stephen Walker, who has held the position for 28 years now, alongside junior auctioneer, Daniel Watson, company secretary, Rachael Simpson, and the board of farmer directors.

The team is also supported by assistant auctioneer, William Bramham, who has been a large part of the mart's success, selling regularly on busy sale days for 40 years.

Stephen Walker, manager and head auctioneer at Leyburn Auction Mart.

There are two weekly sales of cast and clean cattle followed by prime lambs, hoggs and cast sheep on a Wednesday, and rearing calves and stirks each Friday, together with regular sales of store cattle and sheep, breeding cattle and sheep, and dairy cattle.

More than 80,000 head of stock has gone under the hammer over recent years, with a turnover of just under £15 million in 2023.

Often referred to as the mart's ‘crown jewel' Leyburn is well known for its rearing calf sales, boasting healthy numbers of buyers and sellers each week.

Mr Walker says it is rare to see less than 100 calves at a sale, with regular vendors from the local area and further afield such as Durham, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire.

Buyers are also known to travel from all neighbouring counties, Northumberland and the Scottish Borders.

He says: "There seems to be something about Leyburn, we have always had a good calf market and it is something we pride ourselves on."

As one of a few remaining town centre auction marts left in the country, Leyburn Auction Mart has remained at its Richmond Road site since its establishment in 1918.

Alongside the monthly dairy sales with up to 50 cattle entered in sales over recent months, breeding sheep sales also take place in the autumn, with 3,000-4,000 Mule and continental gimmer lambs and shearlings sold annually.

A show and sale of Teeswater sheep, on behalf of the Teeswater Sheep Breeders Association, is also held each year.

Mr Walker says the breed's enthusiasts regularly make the journey from as far as Devon, the Scottish Highlands and Northern Ireland.

The mart has also built a strong reputation for good quality store cattle, and despite the reduction in the national suckler herd, numbers and trade have remained buoyant for quality bred suckler cattle coming out of the dales.

Store cattle sales are held fortnightly between autumn and spring, and monthly throughout the summer.

Mr Walker says the quality of stock which goes through the rings is a credit to the local farmers, with buyers known to travel the distance to the mart's store sales.

"Selling genuine livestock to genuine customers - that is what Leyburn is all about."

"We have farming families who have sold here for generations, and many loyal customers who we look after. There is great support from the local area, and we welcome any new customers which wish to come our way."

While there is a clear focus on continuing to trade quality livestock in both the sheep and cattle rings, the mart remains a rural hub, undoubtedly supported by its town centre location.

Hosting young farmer's rallies, an annual carol service for The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI) and annual dinner dance, Mr Walker says the mart is always available to the local community and organisations.

As one of a few town centre auction marts left in the UK, its location is a large part of the mart's heritage, a stone's throw away from where it all began.

Mr Walker says: "The town centre is where it started, when livestock fairs were held in towns in the 1800's, before the gradual transition of livestock being traded by auction."

While still within the bounds of the town, Mr Walker says the mart is fortunate to have its two-hectare (five acre) site where it can operate well with the rest of the town.

The mart's premises is also home to several associated businesses, including an agricultural merchants, animal feed company and accountants.

"The shops and businesses in the town do appreciate we are here and we appreciate them. We all benefit each other."

Leyburn auction mart is the beating heart of the local community.

The mart's location also helps to bridge the gap between the farming community and the general public, with the spectacle of livestock sales drawing in holiday makers and visitors alike.

Mr Walker says: "We often get holiday makers coming into the mart, they pop their heads round the door and you can tell they are intrigued by the act of auctioneering.

"It is not unusual for people to come on an annual holiday in the dales and come to the auction mart every year."

With the town's public car park not far from the mart, visitors are often drawn in by the sound of a sale, which Mr Walker hopes may help some of those who are not from farming backgrounds to connect with where their food comes from.

With a focus on keeping their existing customers happy through strong sales of commercial stock, Mr Walker says encouraging the next generation of auctioneers is also key to their future success.

"Daniel is the future, and auctioneering is a skill and a talent which as an industry we need to nurture," he says.

Having been at the mart as junior auctioneer for the last two years, and halfway through completing a livestock market operations and management course at Harper Adams University, Daniel regularly sells store cattle, store lambs and breeding sheep, as well as undertaking general duties of sale organisation and canvasing.

Looking to the future at Leyburn Auction Mart, Mr Walker says: "We are focused on keeping those established sales healthy going forwards, those two sales twice a week, every week. They are our bread and butter.

"We are fortunate that we have a lot of good customers and a lot of good farmers producing quality stock in the local area. It is a credit to the local farmers."