Sheep being driven along Abbey Road. Taken from the top of the hill on Abbey Road, looking towards St Paul’s Church (mid-left).  Part of a series of views taken after this snow fall.  Note double tram tracks.

It is possible that the sheep had been sheltered in one of the local Newbarns farms – the pasture land would have been covered in snow – and were now being driven to the abattoir.  This was sited next to the railway around the top of Cavendish Street.

Michael H. Quinn’s book “Old Newbarns” (2019) quotes Ron Marsh from Sandylands Farm remembering “The fields behind the farm were what we called the House Fields and belonged to Yew Tree Farm. Part of the fields is now the Barrow Wanderers football pitch. We used the bring sheep up from the slaughter house to graze on these fields.  The sheep came into the slaughterhouse by rail but they weren’t allowed to be kept in lairage overnight so about a dozen of us lads, some on bikes, had to drive them up Abbey Road and over Fairfield Lane to the House Fields with Matt Carter and Jim Steel in a pony and trap trying to block off all the road entrances. And with the park gates being taken for the war effort it was pandemonium, there were sheep all over the place! We had the same problem the next morning when we had to get the sheep back to the slaughterhouse before we went to school.” p 236.