Wensleydale Sheep |
Originated in North Yorkshire early in the 19th Century from a cross between
a long since extinct local longwool breed from the region of the River Tees and
an outstanding Dishley Leicester ram named "Bluecap". The breed
was developed to produce hardy rams for crossing onto hill ewes, together with
high quality and valuable lustre fleeces.
The Wensleydale is a very large longwool sheep, described by the British
Meat and Livestock Commission as "probably the heaviest of all our
indigenous breeds". It is a visually striking sheep with considerable
presence. It has bold and alert carriage which is accentuated by its broad,
level back on wide quarters and strong thighs. It has a distinctive deep blue
head and ears, which should be clean except for a well developed forelock of
wool, usually referred to as the "topping". Both sexes are polled.
A Wensleydale ewe will produce two lambs with minimal lambing problems. Twin
lambs average 6 kgs each at birth with a growth rate that enables ram lambs to
reach 73 kgs at 21 weeks.
Though developed as a crossing sire the Wensleydale is equally well known
for the exceptionally high quality of its lustrous wool, making it an
outstanding dual purpose sheep. Wensleydale wool is the finest and most
valuable lustre longwool in the world. Fleeces are of 20 - 30 cms staple length
and 33 - 35 micron thickness, with yearling fleeces weighing from 6 to 9 kgs.
Fleeces are entirely kemp free as a result of the unique characteristics of the
wool-producing follicles. This special quality is genetically transmitted to
cross-bred lambs, characterising the Wensleydale ram as perhaps the leading
wool improver sire in the world. Wensleydale wool is used for its special
effects and handle in hand knitting yarn, knitwear and cloth and sometimes in
upholstery fabrics. Because of its similarity, it is regularly used to blend
with mohair.
The average bodyweight of a mature ewe is 113kg and that of a mature ram is
136kg.
We purchased our Wensleydale ewes, Wallace Peggy (2005), Wallace April
(2005) & Wallace Marigold (2005) in November 2008 from Staffordshire. Peggy
and April were both in-lamb and their 2009 lambs are Dandelion, Daisy and
Daffodil.
In September 2009 we purchased a shearling ram, Oakhill Reginald, at the
Melton Mowbray Rare Breed Sale.