Flock this way: Britain's best stately home is looking for a shepherd
Round up, round up, because Blenheim Palace are offering one lucky candidate the position of a lifetime - the chance to be a shepherd for the stately home's unique heritage flock.
The beautiful country house in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill and a World Heritage Site, is actively recruiting both a shepherd and sheepdogs to care for its 1,000-strong flock of Scotch mule ewes.
These cute, distinctive-looking sheep (as all good shepherds will know) are a cross between the Scottish blackface and bluefaced Leicester breeds.
Would-be applicants will have to be flexible, however, as the job description states that the lucky candidate will also be expected to look after a small number of rare breed suckler cows.
Blenheim's new shepherd will also be invited to live rent-free in a three-bedroom cottage on the glorious estate. So is this the job for you, or would your application be dismissed as a bit woolly?
Unfortunately for most of us, it turns out that modern-day shepherds need a lot more to offer potential employers than a penchant for 'cottagecore' furnishings or a love of collie dogs. And absolutely do not mention the boutique 'shepherd's hut' you went glamping in this summer...
Watch this: Enthusiastic toddler shepherd has sheep on the run
Blenheim are asking for someone with "highly developed livestock skills and substantial experience", the ability to carry out heavy manual tasks and a driving license with relevant specialist trailer licenses. Oh, and you absolutely have to bring your own (equally highly trained) dogs.
So is a shepherd's life for you? While it's easy to romanticise the profession, it's a tough - but rewarding - existence where you will be up early and out in all weathers all year round.
Things can get extremely cold, damp and difficult in winter, and you would have to be on call at all hours of the night during lambing season. It's a high responsibility job, with the welfare of your entire flock resting on your shoulders. That said, you'd see a lot of beautiful sunrises - and you'd be partaking in one of the oldest professions in the entire world.
Read more: Counting sheep - an ancient shepherd's hut just sold for £16000
Shepherding, once seen as a bygone profession, has had something of a renaissance in recent times. Modern shepherds such as Amanda Owens (author of the Yorkshire Shepherdess books and TV regular) and James Redbanks (author of English Pastoral: An Inheritance) have huge and devoted followings on social media. So if you're considering a career change, you might want to start by reading their stories first - and see if the lambing life's for you.
Watch this: Deaf sheepdog learns sign language to continue working
