Wensleydale Longwool Sheep
The Wensleydale is one of the most striking of British sheep breeds. Their deep 'blue' skin, bold alert ears, strength of carriage and long, curling fleece make them both distinctive and distinguished*. Perhaps on account of their large size (or, perhaps, their North of England origins?), they have real strength of personality and an indomitable determination to survive - far from 'sheepish' in fact! Highly prized for their unique, lustrous fleece and lean, flavoursome meat in maturity, the Wensleydale ram also contributes to the productivity of hill sheep whose cross-bred offspring make for a larger framed, leaner lamb with a significantly improved fleece.
The fortunes of the breed are intrinsically linked to that of the British woollen industry. As the value of natural wool fell, prime mutton became uneconomic and, by the 1960's, only a handful of flocks remained. Today, numbering some 1,500 ewes, the Wensleydale remains rare - but takes pride of place at Ystrad which is home to the largest organic flock in the UK.
All these attributes, combined with the unrivalled quality of its produce, makes the Wensleydale breed fantastically rewarding and the individual animals a real pleasure to do business with.
*Also available in black!
