When it comes to her career in the farming world, 26-year-old Bethany Atkinson is a relative new-comer. In fact, it wasn't something she'd entirely planned at all.

"I came into this industry by accident," she explains. "I trained as a photographer, which is what I was doing up until the pandemic hit. I was about to go and work for a modelling agency in London doing their casting shots, but because of the pandemic everything stopped."

It was at that point that Bethany, from Stokesby, dipped her toe into shepherding, taking on contracts across the county and working at different farms for a specified period.

"I went for a week to help out a nearby farm because they were short on people and they needed an extra hand at lambing," says Bethany. "Because I have horses, I thought I could do pens, I could help keep things topped up with water, hay and straw, but I ended up absolutely falling in love with it and haven't looked back. It's amazing.

"Right now, as I speak to you, I'm standing outside in the sunshine, I've just been with a load of lambs that are popping out, and I can't think of anything better. It's phenomenal."

Bethany's first contract at her local farm was meant to last a week, but she ended up staying around three months, until their lambing season had finished. From there, she moved on, finding other work and helping out at different sites.

"I'm self-employed, so every time they've finished with that they've needed, I move on to somewhere else - anyone who will take me, really!"

And it's fair to say that as well as locations, the work itself is varied, too. "I do everything from contract shepherding to loading muck," Bethany says. "I do whatever I can to stay in the industry.

"I'm happy to work doing whatever is needed. I helped calving during November time, for example, and in the summer I help my partner with his muck spreading business, so I drive the loader.

"When all my lambing work is finished, I go on to shearing work, then muck spreading. It's all a bit of a mix! But it means it's good fun and varied, and I can do lots of different things."

Not content with just looking after other flocks, Bethany decided to take on one of her own. "This is my second year of having them," she says. "I've just started it to grow it. It's nothing huge - I started with 30, and I think I'm up to nearly 90, but that's not including any which are being born at the moment."

So, just the 'small' flock of 90-plus, then?

It all sounds rather lovely - days with the sun on your face in the Norfolk countryside, helping with the arrival of beautiful new life just in time for spring. Let's make no mistake, though, this is hard work and the hours are long. Bethany is up and out by first light, after very possibly having been awake through the night to help her labouring yews.

"I check on them regularly and I roughly know who is going to lamb, as they have a few signs, and I can keep an eye on them," she says. "I don't have a huge flock, so mine isn't going chaotic at the moment like other people's, and it's a little easier for me if I need to pop out or sleep."

Bethany puts in the the hours lambing with her own flock, which she juggles around her other work. Then she contract lambs from January through to mid-May - months in which she admits she doesn't really stop.

"The first farm I'm contracted with starts in January. I then move on to another farm in February, I then lamb mine, then I move on and lamb someone else's in April."

So, what's it like being a shepherdess in what's traditionally a male-dominated environment? "This is something that's brought up quite a lot. It is [male dominated], but at the same time there's so many of us coming into it. I've got so many friends that are girls in this industry, and, to be honest, men who are in it treat you as equal. No-one treats me any differently.

"Everywhere I've worked, everyone treats me like the others, so I've not had any bad experiences. I feel like if you can work like the others, you won't stand out and we can all just carry on. You just blend in."

At the moment, Bethany is solo, but two legs are very soon to become six, when she is joined by her one-year-old border collie, Gin, currently in training.

"I work with people who have dogs, and they know I can't bring a dog with me," says Bethany. "I'm getting there with mine, she's in training, but I've never had any problem with the work I do, not having a dog.

"Obviously, it'll be much easier having a dog , easier for me, but everywhere I worked I've not needed one. But when she's trained and ready to go, it will definitely make life a bit easier, especially for me!

"I can't wait, I've had enough of running!" she laughs. "Without a dog, it's me on legs until she's ready."

Bethany, remember, is not from a farming family, but they are fully supportive of her new career. "They love it," she says. "I don't get to see them a lot so we have a family chat and we can keep up-to-date with what's happening.

"I send them the videos of dog training and I have an Instagram account which I try and post on most days. My mother is my number one fan, she loves everything about it. And it keeps my photography going, too."

As for her photography, Bethany still works doing equine and canine portraits and makes time for these outside of lambing season.

Sometimes in life we're unexpectedly taken on a different path, but it's one this new shepherdess is thoroughly enjoying for now. "I wasn't expecting to be in the industry for as long as I have been," she says, "but apparently I love it and apparently I'm here to stay!

Instagram: Shepherdess_beth