John Pring had worked for the National Trust for 30 years organising countryside work on a 25,000 acre estate in the Lake District when the charity was gifted High Lickbarrow, a small nature-friendly farm formerly owned by the Bottomley family. The nature-conservation aspect of High Lickberrow was paramount to the National Trust and its Albions were key to delivering it.

John says: “The first Albion bull named Valiant had arrived at High Lickberrow from the Barnacre herd in 1984 and when the National Trust took on the farm, the bequest included the Scoutbeck herd with over 50 Albion cows which turned out to be the largest and purest herd anywhere. A farm manager was required and I began my journey into the world of conservation grazing.”

In 2017 High Lickbarrow hosted an Albion weekend where a small number of breeders came together to reinvigorate the breed society. John says: “It is often said that the Scoutbeck herd is the engine room of the breed and we have been able to help others set up new micro herds. It has been a real privilege to see the Albions move towards a more secure future.”