PRIZE-winning farmer Trevor Dixon has spent hundreds of hours over the years repairing dry stone walls between tending his sheep and cattle.

But he is also scoring a big success by building the same type of wall on a miniature scale.

At his farmhouse near Barnard Castle, County Durham, he uses sandstone from a local quarry to make exact replicas. Then he adds dogs, sheep and poultry to create realistic dale scenes which are in demand all over the world.

They have gone to Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the US as well as all over Britain from a room he uses as a workshop at East House Farm, Langleydale.

It is one of the most successful farm diversification schemes in Teesdale, where many farming families now have to seek an extra income to help them survive.

Mr Dixon, who has won many awards with his mule and Swaledale sheep during the past 30 years, said he now spends about half his working hours on his sideline business, which he calls Dalestone Crafts, and the other half on traditional tasks.

He said, "I never thought I had any artistic talent, but I started making a few models as a hobby about ten years ago. When I got better at it I sold a few, and now it has grown into a useful business.

"Like most farmers I've spent a lot of time repairing dry stone walls, which are a feature of the dale landscape. Now I make my

little ones on the same lines, with the biggest stones at the bottom, through-stones at two levels and curved ones on top.

"A lot have been bought by people who have moved away or emigrated. They say they are like a little piece of the dales and remind them of home. I'm glad of the extra income as farming has become a bit of a struggle."

He buys in the model animals used in the scenes, which sell for £15 to £90 at shows, craft fairs and by mail order. He will be at Barnard Castle farmers' market on the first Saturday in December and Darlington High Row market on the four Thursdays before Christmas.

Mr Dixon, whose son, Philip, has taken over a lot of the farm work, added, "It's a lot nicer sitting in the workshop making my little walls than being out in the fields on a freezing winter day."