Woolmen drive sheep over London Bridge to promote British wool

Thirty sheep are provided for the event by a Bedfordshire farmer (Photo: Worshipful Company of Woolmen)
Thirty sheep are provided for the event by a Bedfordshire farmer (Photo: Worshipful Company of Woolmen)

Over 600 Freemen of the City of London will take up their historic entitlement to drive their sheep over London Bridge in a bid to promote British wool and the countryside.

The Great Sheep Drive spectacle will see more than 600 Freemen drive their sheep over what was once London’s only river crossing and sole trading route.

The tradition is as ancient as the bridge itself, and will raise tens of thousands of pounds for the Lord Mayor’s Appeal.

The event also focuses on British wool, and helps to raise awareness of the countryside in the heart of the City.

It is organised and hosted by the Worshipful Company of Woolmen which traces its own roots back to 1180.

The event will be held on 30 September, with TV Presenter Alan Titchmarsh the first person in becoming a would-be shepherd for the day.

Bill Clark, Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Woolmen, said: “Driving sheep over London Bridge by Freemen of the City is a tradition rooted in more than 800 years of the history of the Woolmen.

“Re-energising this old tradition provides a fun day out for Londoners but it is also a reminder of the City of London’s important trading history. Wool may have been replaced by stocks and shares but London is still the world’s centre of commerce.”

Thirty sheep are provided for the event by a Bedfordshire farmer, with just ten at a time driven across the bridge by successive groups of Freemen.