A HISTORY OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE 



The Cotswold sheep of the fifteenth century inhabited broad, unenclosed, 

 and bleak tracts of country with little natural shelter covered with short 

 sweet herbage, and judging from the description of the country they occupied 

 were probably very different from the Cotswold sheep of the present day. 

 It is therefore not unreasonable to conclude that their altered and improved 

 character is largely the result of the improved state of cultivation of their 

 native hills, and is not altogether due to admixture with other breeds, as 

 is sometimes asserted. There is, however, no doubt that early in the nine- 

 teenth century a cross with the new Leicester was introduced with benefit 

 to the breed. 



It is described by Rudge as being 



large and coarse in the wool, at three years old generally weighing from twenty-two to 

 thirty pounds per quarter, and capable by forced feeding of being made even forty-five pounds. 

 At the same age it produces nine or ten, and sometimes more weight of wool per fleece. 



In his Rural Rides Cobbett, describing his journey over the Cotswolds 

 in 1826, notes that 'there has come down to us from a distance of many 

 centuries a particular race of sheep called the Cotswold Breed, which are, 

 of course, the best suited to the County.' 



When Bravender wrote his essay the Cotswold sheep were probably the 

 same in all essential characteristics as at present. He notes that at that 

 time many fat tegs were ' brought to the fairs in April and May, being from 

 thirteen to fifteen months old, that have had neither cake nor corn, the clip 

 of the tegs averaging about 7 Ib. and that of the ewes 6 Ib. each.' The 

 Cotswold sheep of the present day are big and handsome animals, carrying a 

 great weight of carcass upon clean wide-standing legs. Their white faces 

 are set off by a long curly topknot, and the heavy white fleece is of long 

 curled wool. That the wool-producing qualities of the Cotswold sheep are 

 maintained is shown by the result of the clip of the celebrated Aldsworth 

 flock in 1905, when 1,100 fleeces produced 417 tods of washed wool or an 

 average of lojlb. per fleece. These sheep are very hardy in constitution, 

 and quiet by disposition, seldom attempting to break bounds. There are 

 now comparatively few pure-bred flocks on their native hills, their place 

 having been largely taken by the various Down breeds and their crosses. 

 The greatest demand for Cotswold rams at the present day comes from East 

 Anglia, where they are much in request for crossing with black-faced ewes, 

 giving size, constitution, and early maturity to the lambs. 



Throughout the Thames Valley and upon the Cotswold Hills the greater 

 proportion of the flocks now consist of the Oxford Down, or of cross-bred 

 sheep in which the Oxford breed predominates. The Oxford Down origi- 

 nated in a cross between the Cotswold ram and Hampshire Down ewe, and 

 having been bred since about the year 1835, has long been recognized as a 

 distinct breed. In the Oxford the poll is well covered with wool, and has a 

 topknot inherited from the Cotswold. The face is a uniform dark brown, 

 fleece thick and heavy, the body being wide, level on the back, and supported 

 by short legs. They are said to bear harder folding and to fatten with less 

 food than the Cotswold. 



These beautiful sheep have been brought to great perfection in the 

 Thames Valley, and the old-established flock at Maiseyhampton has been the 

 means of extending the popularity of the breed over the continent of Europe, 



256 



