TJic Country Gcntlanaiis Magazine 



63 



THE HERD WICK BREED OF SHEEP. 



IN the district of West Cumberland, and 

 adjoining portions of East Cumberland, 

 AVestmoreland, and North Lancashire, a vari- 

 ety of sheep of antient but uncertain origin, 

 has maintained from time unknown a charac- 

 ter peculiarly adapted to the circumstances in 

 ■which the breed is found existing, like West 

 Highland cattle, in places where a less hardy 

 race could not continue the struggle for life 

 (places, in fact, often inaccessible to the 

 heavier and less active kinds of stock), ex- 

 posed to the suddenly-changing weather and 

 frequent storms, and reared upon the poor 

 scanty pasturage of the wildest mountains and 

 the bleakest fells. It is known as the Herd- 

 wick breed — so named, we are told by an 

 authority on Cumberland agriculture, because 

 a practice has prevailed of farming out the 

 sheep in herds— ^xi application of the term 

 7/^;-^ instead oi flock. The true derivation of 

 the name, we imagine, is as obscure as the 

 early history of the Herdwicks. 



Tradition asserts their descent from a few 

 animals washed ashore from the wreck of a 

 Spanish ship, some centuries ago ; but, to 

 whatever source they owe their existence, 

 the Herdwick sheep are now bred to the ex- 

 clusion of all other sorts throughout a con- 

 siderable proportion of the tract of country we 

 have indicated ; and if upon all fanns this is 

 not strictly the case, they are at least kept 

 with scrupulous regard to purity, while famiers 

 in the lower parts of the district select from 

 the old ewes of the hill fanners for a cross 

 Avith Leicester rams, to produce offspring 

 capable of a very profitable growth on their 

 richer lands. 



The average weight of a moderately fat 

 pure Herdwick wether (fed off at four years 

 old) is about 12 lb. to the quarter, or a trifle 

 over; fattened for Christmas consumption, or 

 for any reason forced to an unusual weight, 

 the larger specimens grow sometimes to as 

 much as 24 lb. or 25 lb. a quarter. There 

 are, however, two sub-varieties, one superior 



to the other in size, and surpassing the lesser 

 sort, probably to the extent of 3 lb. per 

 quarter. It is sometimes spoken of as a 

 breed distinct from the " Httle Herdwicks ; " 

 but as the same general description, except 

 with regard to size, applies equally to both, 

 and as the larger sheep are commonly knowm 

 as Herdwicks, we include them when men- 

 tioning the breed, and class the two together 

 without distinguishing the one from the other. 

 The stock on different mountains, however, 

 interchanged in blood, vary somewhat in size, 

 colour, and other particulars. 



The Herdwicks are remarkable for ex- 

 tremely fine bones and the quality and 

 flavour of mutton, second to none, of choicest 

 mountain growth. Their wool, varying in 

 quality, but usually of a coarse character, 

 averages about 3 lb. to the fleece, rather 

 more on some farms ; and certain mountains 

 seem decidedly better than others for the 

 production of wool of the more desirable 

 quality. The selling price is nearly or about 

 half that of Leicester wool. One extensive 

 and successful breeder states that his thirty 

 years' average is about 7/^d. per lb.; the 

 lowest price, in 1848, about 4^d.; and the 

 highest in 1864, is. id. per lb. The sheep 

 are most frequently white, some grey, or 

 rather white, with a mixture of black. Their 

 faces are of various colours — black, black- 

 and-white, grey, or black with grey noses; 

 some of the breeders, who are particular 

 about mmiitice, being very partial to dark 

 faces and a "frosty" or grizzled muzzle. 

 The head sometimes is black, or very dark, 

 turning to an iron-grey about half-way down 

 the face, and fading off to a pale grizzle, like 

 that of an old sheep-dog, towards the end of 

 the nose. The legs are grey or mottled. 

 The Herdwick ewes are hornless ; the male 

 sheep mostly so ; but a few, or more than a 

 few, have horns, or rudimentary indications 

 of horn. 



The yield of lambs varies to the extent of 



