AN end of an era comes to Dartmoor Prison later this month when most of the farm?s livestock goes before the auctioneer?s hammer.

In what will be one of the biggest one-day sales in the West Country this year, much of the farm?s 1,600 acres will be handed back to landlords Duchy of Cornwall Estates.

A total of 300 head of cattle and 1,400 sheep, along with farm machinery, will be sold by Tavistock-based Kivells who have run annual livestock sales at the prison for the past 19 years.

The farm, which has been part of Dartmoor Prison for more than 200 years, is to become a training unit for prisoners.

This will mean many of them will in future be released from prison with a National Vocational Qualification to help them adjust and find new jobs.

They will be instructed in a wide variety of amenity work, carrying out countryside maintenance like stonewalling and learning rural crafts and skills.

The dispersal sale is the latest move in a slow run-down of the traditional farm. Land has gradually been surrendered back to Duchy Estates.

The 220 head of dairy cattle will be auctioned on August 24 together with 26 of the Highland cattle herd, plus 60 crossbred beef cattle, and the sheep.

The beef cattle comprise the pedigree prize-winning Highland herd of 16 cows and heifers, ten bull and heifer calves and the stock bull. Five tractors, grassland and dairy equipment will also be sold in 500 lots.

However, some of the farm stock will be retained. Ten of the pedigree Highland cattle heifers will remain, as well as 20 of the grey-face Dartmoor flock. The prison farm is acquiring a new stock bull.

?This very important sale will give buyers an ideal opportunity to acquire stock from this high and healthy 1,600-acre farm located 1,400 feet above sea level,? said Peter Palmer of Kivells.

?This is one of the largest one-day sales to be conducted in the whole country this year ? and at a unique location.?

At present four prisoners at a time from the prison?s new Resettlement Assessment Centre work on the farm as an obligatory introduction to their course.