Herdwick Sheep

About Herdwick sheep

Herdwick sheep are native to the Lake District fells. This coloured sheep is very hardy and has a white face and white legs. The rams are horned. Lambs are born with black-wool, but ewes go blue-grey with age.

Herdwick meat has exceptional quality, being dark, fine-grained and well flavoured.

The fleece of Herwick sheep

The fleece of Herdwick sheep is coarse and kempy. Attractive speciality fabrics can be made from it using undyed wool from sheep of different ages. The wool is widely used for carpet making and Herdwick wool has been developed recently for knitwear. The fleece is also blended with grey Swaledale to make Thermafleece.

Technical information about the fleece

• Staple length 15-20 cm
• Weight 1.5-2 Kg
• Quality: coarse