Lleyns SheepOur sheep are mainly Lleyns (pronounced Cleyn) which come from the Lleyn Peninsula in North Wales. We also have some Herdwicks, which are the native breed of Cumbria and are mainly farmed on the open hills. The lambs are a variety of Lleyns and Lleyn/Herdwick crosses.
Lleyns are a white faced breed and are reasonably easy to look after. They generally produce single (1) and twins (2) lambs though we get at least you one set of quads (4) lambs and usually two or more sets of triplets (3) lambs. A ewe will easily raise two lambs and generally be okay with 3, however 4 lambs will be much harder for her and so we usually take 2 lambs away. This ensures the two lambs left with the ewe will survive and do well. The remaining lambs will usually be bottle fed. If you come at the right time of day you can give it a go.
Please see the daily/weekly information page for updates on lambing and what is going on generally. |
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Herdwick SheepThe name of the Herdwick sheep is Old Norse, and derived from the word herdvyck, or "sheep pasture". The breed is recorded in documents dating back to the 12th century, but the true origin of the breed itself is unknown.
The most common theory is that the ancestors of Herdwick sheep were introduced by the early Norse settlers and it was brought to the region somewhere between the 10th and 11th centuries by the Vikings.
Alternative folklore suggests that the Herdwick came from a wrecked ship that was part of the Spanish Armada. No one can be certain but the Viking one seems more plausible to us than the Spanish connection.
For hundreds of years, the farming of Herdwick and other breeds of sheep has been a huge factor in shaping the culture and terrain of the English Lake District. Grazing by sheep still continues to form the views we see of the Lakeland fells and other areas like Derbyshire's Peak District and the Cotswolds which continues to keep these hillsides largely treeless. Even our dry stone walls were originally built to confine livestock. Looking out on our vistas today few would be aware of the impact sheep farming has had on our scenery. |
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