104 



THE HERDWICK. 



The Herd wick, the hardiest and one of the most peculiar of 

 British Mountain sheep, is found in the Fell districts of North 

 Lancashire, Cumberland and Westmorland. 



Tradition ascribes their origin to "forty small sheep which 

 managed to save themselves from the wreck of a Spanish vessel 

 stranded [about the time of the Armada] on the sandy coast of 

 Drigg, and were claimed for flotsam and jetsam by the then lord 

 of the manor." If this really was their origin it can only be said 

 that, as a sceptical writer puts it " they picked their country well," 

 for they are peculiarly well adapted for their district, and every 

 attempt to introduce other breeds to it has failed. The vessel has 

 also been claimed as Norwegian and the wrecked sheep as Scotch, 

 and the date fixed about 200 years ago. All attempts to improve 

 the breed by crossing have failed. 



The colour of the head and legs of the lamb when dropped 

 should be a blue black, with a shade of grey through it, but 

 free from any tinge of brown or speckle ; the body, white, or 

 preferably grey ; white tips to the ears ; and a fringe of white hair 

 round the hoofs. The white extends from the starting points 

 indicated, and forms rings which gradually develop round the 

 muzzle and limbs, till, at four years of age, the face and legs are 

 left either white, like the hoofs, or steel-grey in colour. 



Distinguishing Characteristics of Herdwick Sheep. Horns in 

 the ram (the ewes have no horns), should be smooth and not too 

 thick, coming out of the head well apart and well back ; the face a 

 light " rag " (grey) or white in full-grown sheep, with plenty of white 

 bristles on the back of the head, and a "toppen" of moderate size on 

 the forehead. The neck and head should be carried gaily, rising well 

 from the shoulders, which are usually sharp at the withers, although 

 a broad shoulder is preferable. The fleece should be genuine wool, 

 not hair, the staple strong, with a mane standing well up round 

 the shoulders and down the breast ; the wool a good length on 

 other parts, and knit together with a lash on the top. 



A little kemp in the wool when a sheep gets to six years old 

 indicates true Herdwick character. The animal should walk freely 

 and be square on his limbs in travelling to and from an observer, 

 and have a good thick tail. The best sheep when turned up are 

 grey below, and they are none the worse for being grey all over 

 the body showing a grey pelt after shearing. 



Ewes clip about 3 Ib. of wool, hoggs and wethers 4 Ib. or more, 

 and rams 7 or 8 Ib. Ewes do best when they lamb for the first 

 time at three years old. Hoggs from some farms are wintered in 

 the low country at a cost of 5s. to 5s. 6d. each, but on very high 

 exposed places they are hardier and do better afterwards, if 

 wintered at home on hay. 



Herdwick mutton is of very high repute for sweetness, grain, 

 and proportion of lean, and recent trials have shown that the young 

 hoggs will respond well to good feeding on low ground. Draft 

 ewes are frequently mated with Border Leicester, Leicester, or 

 Wensleydale rams for their fourth lambing. Any of these crosses 

 produces lambs of high quality for the butcher, or cross ewes that 



