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Sheep of Cumbria(See also The Lakeland Sheep and Wool Centre and Dalemain House)
The Rough Fell is another type of sheep found on Cumbria's fells and moorlands. These sheep, like the Herdwick, are a robust breed and are especially popular in the southern part of Cumbria around Kendal, Tebay, and Sedbergh.
The Swaledale, also found in Cumbria, is a sturdy sheep with a black head and white foreface and horns. Other sheep found in the area can be crossbreeds of Herdwicks with Texels, Suffolks, Leicesters, and Charollais.
The rugged sheep of the Cumbrian fells are an integral part of the landscape. From medieval times to the present they represent the character of the Lake District. Many agricultural shows and sheep dog trials are held in Cumbrian towns. Check with local Tourist Information Centres for dates, times, and places. Cockermouth Sheep and Wool Centre Countryside Museum Photos courtesy of Graeme Dougal , Tony Richard and Ann Bowker © 1997-2008 by The Cumbria Directory. Reproduction of this work in whole or in part, including images, and reproduction in electronic media, without documented permission from The Cumbria Directory is prohibited. |
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If any animal could
be identified specifically with Cumbria, it would be the Herdwick sheep, natives to the area. The
name Herdwick, meaning "sheep pasture", has existed since the 12th century. Found
mostly in the central and western Lake District, they thrive on the thin soil of the fells and
are able to take the rough weather in stride. They are independent, free of humans needing to
feed and protect them during the long, harsh winters.
Hardy and bred to the hills, they know their own territory (called "heafed" to the
fell) and stick within it, never mixing and mingling with the herds of other fell farms. Because
of this inbred behavior, they are considered difficult, if not impossible, to replace.
The sheep have developed in their genes
a built-in resistance to fell diseases and parasites. For 400 years from the 16th
through the 19th centuries, sheep were treated (salved) with a hot mix of tar and
rancid butter to keep parasites such as ticks and lice from them. This time consuming and
expensive method was eventually replaced with sheep dips.
April and May are lambing season
while July through August is shearing time. September sees the new lambs weaned, and October is
selling time. In late November the sheep live in the bottomlands of the valleys, moving to the
fells around the end of December. Some breeding ewes and the first year lambs (gimmer) spend
winter on lowland farms.
Herdwicks are identified by their white faces and lack of horns (except the rams).
Lambs are born black but turn grey with age. Their coarse, tough fleeces are used to make
long-lasting carpets. Their meat is said to have a distinctive taste.
Beatrix
Potter, well known author and illustrator, championed the Herdwick sheep and served a term as
chairman of the Herdwick Sheep Breeders' Association. She purchased Troutbeck Farm, near
Kirkstone Pass, to rear her sheep and left them to the National Trust.
Able to feed on the heather and mountain
grass, the Rough Fell requires little maintenance. Rough Fell sheep have large bodies and thick
white fleece. The rams have a black and white face and large horns. The fleece is exported to
Europe for use in mattresses. In England it is used in carpeting.
Wool was an important economic crop for all of England, as testified by the
many wool churches, town mottoes, and coats of arms throughout the country. Kendal's motto is
"Pannus mihi panem" translated is "Wool means bread for me".