During our visit to Llanthony Priory we could hear a shepherd directing his dogs and moving sheep on the high ground above us. The sheep were, for the most part, being sheep and dutifully proceeding in lines across the brcken covered hillside. We couldn't see the shepherd, nor could I hear the sound of a quadbike - the usual method by which shepherds travel overland in these upland regions. Then a figure did appear on the horizon.
When I extended my lens to its maximum magnification I saw that it was the shepherd on a horse or pony - a sight I have never seen before in Britain. Today's photographs are technically inferior. But in terms of the subject they are proof that the old ways continue and, at least for this shepherd, remain the best ways.
