London’s revived tradition of driving sheep over the river

When: 30th September 2018

Where: London Bridge, Central London

£: Free to watch

What is it?

The sixth annual London Bridge Sheep Drive, organised by the Worshipful Company of Woolmen, will take place on Sunday 30th September.

The Sheep Drive will be raising money for the Lord Mayor’s Appeal and the Worshipful Company of Woolmen’s Charitable Trust.  Freemen of the City of London, along with their friends and families, will be participating in the drive.

This year’s event will be opened by Alan Titchmarsh, who will be swapping his garden trowel for a shepherd’s crook.

What is a sheep drive?  In the Middle Ages, Freemen (people who weren’t slaves or serfs) were allowed to herd or ‘drive’ their sheep to market in the City, across London Bridge, without paying wool taxes.

The proliferation of motor vehicles brought an end to the practice, but it has been re-introduced in recent years.  In 2013, the Worshipful Company of Woolmen arranged the first modern-day ‘drive’ of sheep across London Bridge.

The Worshipful Company of Woolmen’s Charitable Trust aims to promote the wool industry and interest in wool, wool products, and sheep farming; as well as promote the City of London and the Livery movement.

More info: sheepdrive.london and www.facebook.com/TheWoolmen