A SMALL North Yorkshire auction mart has entered the busiest period of the year with renewed vigour.

Masham Farmers' Mart was taken over by Craven Cattle Marts of Skipton in April last year and Coverdale farmer David Findlay, one of two CCM Masham fieldsmen, says it has taken on a new life with a lot more activity than in the past.

Like other marts, it will enjoy major sales of store cattle and breeding sheep this month and next. It will also see annual shows and sales of shearlings and gimmer lambs, on behalf of the Masham Sheep Breeders' Association, in larger numbers than anywhere in the country.

Mr Findlay, who has the 280-acre Birdridding Farm at Coverham, said there was a feeling the mart had come back to life.

Its mainstay is liveweight collections of prime sheep and fat cattle - up to 25 cattle and 1,000 sheep a week at peak times - but since mid-August live fat lambs and store sheep have been sold on Tuesdays at 6pm and sales have been successful.

"We are catering for a new generation of farmers and, because their perception has moved on, so must ours," said Mr Findlay.

Masham had benefited from becoming part of the CCM Group. "It could not have stood alone and now fits nicely into the whole group ethos," he said.

"The response from farmers in the region has been both good and positive. Beneficial cross-trading has developed, with people coming from Skipton to Masham with stock and vice-versa. This did not happen before and augurs well for the future.

The second CMM fieldsman for Masham is Andrew Fisher of Low Wood Farm, Heathfield, near Pateley Bridge, who has 500 breeding ewes and 40 suckler cattle and who is in demand as a sheep judge.

The country's premier and largest sale of Masham shearlings was held at the mart on Tuesday, when buyers from a wide area ensured keen bidding and strong prices at the annual show and sale of shearlings on behalf of the MSBA.

Fierce trade averaged £87, peaking at £102 each for the champion pen of ten from Stan Bargh, of Chapel-le-Dale, near Ingleton. (See special sale reports on this page).

An evening sale of 550 prime lambs, store lambs & feeding ewes, also held on Tuesday, saw better than expected trade reaching 116p a kilo for Beltex X lambs from Mike Allen, Whitby. A billy goat, entered by eight-year-old Hannah Brown, of Newton-le-Willows, Bedale, was capably sold by trainee auctioneer Heather Stoney for £27.

"There was a real buzz about the place throughout the day," said Mr Findlay.