A rare breed of cow is to be auctioned to raise funds for Dr Kershaw's Hospice in memory of a well-known Saddleworth farmer.

Burnedge Katie, a one-year-old Whitebred Shorthorn heifer, will go under the hammer next month, and the auctioneers have agreed to waive their commission fees.

Generous-spirited Darren Hough made the decision to sell Katie after his father, Bryan, a legend in the countryside community died.

Darren said: “Katie is the last one of the Burnedge herd and will be sold at Harrison & Hetherington in Carlisle.

“She will be sold for charity and all the proceeds will go to Dr Kershaw's Hospice.

“I thought it only right Katie should be sold and the proceeds go to Dr Kershaw's because of the care they showed my father in his last days. I know he would be happy with my decision.

“Katie will go on to join another herd somewhere to further the breed and secure the future of the Whitebred Shorthorn."

He added: “This was a very easy decision to make and the right thing to do. I wish Katie all the luck for the future. 

“They are very rare, the last I heard there were 200 breeding cows left in the world so the gene pool is very small so Katie will play a big part in this.”

Mr Hough senior brought the breed - his pride and joy - to Saddleworth in the 1970s but over the years the numbers declined dramatically and it is now one of the rarest breeds of cattle.

Bryan Hough was also famous in dry stone walling circles and was founder of the Lancashire Branch of the Dry Stone Wallers Association and became their national president.

He wrote an autobiography,  ‘Bryan Hough – Farmer and so much more’ which leaves a legacy of his full and varied life.

He died in September 2017 in Dr Kershaw's at the age of 85.

Burnedge Katie is listed as Lot 16 in the Harrison & Hetherington Carlisle sale on November 4.