A FLOCK of life-sized sheep which have been scattered across the Lake District are being auctioned this weekend.

The iconic herd which is made up of 108 Herdwick ewes and lambs will be sold at the Low Wood Bay hotel in Windermere on Saturday at the Grand Gala auction held by the Lake District Calvert Trust.

After spanning 150 miles and five Lake District towns since March, the animals have been seen by an estimated 25,000 people who undertook Herdwick spotting adventures.

Bill Bell is the project chairman for Go Herdwick and the trustee of the Lake District Calvert Trust.

He said: "We have been overwhelmed by the support we have received throughout the course of the trail.

"Sponsors, artists, patrons, partners and, of course, the public have all played a vital role in making this a very memorable event.

"We really hope the auction is a huge success and a fitting end to this tremendous project."

Following the end of the trail, the flock took up residence at Rheged for a seven-day viewing which raised more than £17,000.

The auction has sold out with 268 guests attending and hundreds more registered to view and bid online.

Many advance bids have already been made and a number of ewes have already smashed expectations with bids in excess of £2,000.

All proceeds will go towards the Lake District Calvert Trust’s 40th Anniversary fund.

For more information visit www.goherdwick.co.uk