Hollywood star shepherds sheep over London bridge

Hollywood histrion Damian Lewis has taken portion successful an "eccentric" contented dating backmost hundreds of years by herding sheep implicit the River Thames.

The prima joined much than 1,000 Freemen of the City who ushered their sheep on a historical trading way connected Sunday.

The Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning actor, who is himself a Freeman of the City, described the lawsuit arsenic "fabulous".

It is portion of celebrations which began successful 2013 to people the medieval close to bring nutrient to marketplace implicit the Thames without paying tolls.

Lewis wore his grandfather's wool overgarment and carried a crook arsenic helium herded the animals implicit Southwark Bridge.

The 53-year-old said helium was asked to be by the Worshipful Company of Woolme, 1 of the oldest livery companies successful the metropolis which dates backmost to 1180.

Lewis, who is himself a Freeman of the City, was photographed keeping the animals successful cheque up of different freemen dressed successful achromatic hats and reddish and fur cloaks astatine the London Sheep Drive.

"It was fabulous, I'm down present connected this eccentric, precise British day, honouring an aged contented wherever Freemen of the City of London tin thrust their sheep... toll free, escaped of charge, crossed the span - London Bridge arsenic it was successful the time - into the City of London successful bid to merchantability their produce," helium said.

Master Woolman astatine the Worshipful Company of Woolmen, Manny Cohen, said Lewis' large grandfather, grandfather, and his brother, were each Lord Mayors of London.

Those successful the presumption are elected annually and tally the governing assemblage of the City of London Corporation.

Lewis studied astatine the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and "has a truly adjacent nexus to the City of London", Mr Cohen added.

He explained the contented of taking sheep implicit London Bridge was resurrected astir 15 years agone and the lawsuit is sometimes held connected Southwark Bridge, depending connected postulation plans.

"We've conscionable started with a fewer sheep and it's benignant of taken a beingness of its ain now, and it's a immense lawsuit - it's the 2nd largest outdoor lawsuit of the City of London, different than the Lord Mayor's Show," helium added.

The fundraiser besides has stalls and is expected to rise tens of thousands of pounds for the Woolmen Charity, which supports the wool trade, and the Lord Mayor's Appeal, which works to amended "London's astir pressing societal issues".