Over the Gate: Sheep with a mind of its own (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Over the Gate: Sheep with a mind of its own

9:33am Friday 2nd September 2005

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I AM returnign this week to the Herdwick breed of sheep, which are a key part of a cherished landscape. As Geoff Brown of the Herdwick Sheep Breeders Association and of Leader + puts it: "They are widely thought to be the hardiest of all Britain's sheep breeds, living for virtually all of the year on England's highest and roughest terrain".

The central and western fells of Borrowdale, Buttermere, Ennerdale, Wasdale, Eskdale, the Duddon Valley, Coniston and the Langdales, and also the Helvellyn area, are the breed's main stamping grounds.

In 1840, Herdwicks, it is said, could be found around the area of Longsleddale, Grayrigg, Orton, Ravenstonedale and Kirkby Stephen. In 1849 T. Rowlandson described the ewes as being polled with brownish or speckled white in the face and, as they get older, they assume a white or grey appearance about the nose and legs (in the shepherd's phrase they go raggy).

Wool is open and kempy, a bit like hair, and is used for horse rugs etc.; remember this was in the mid-nineteenth century. This sort of fleece withstands the harsh weather of bleak mountains much better than softer fleeces.

They are described as being good milkers but seldom produce more than one lamb, and they are terrible lish (agile).

Cumberland farmer William Dickinson, in 1852, claimed the Herdwick breed possessed more of the characters of an original race than any other in the county. Formerly, many of the breed had large manes and beards of very coarse grey hair, but these defects had now been bred out without losing hardiness.

A most peculiar feature was that some Herdys had 14 ribs instead of the more usual 13 in other breeds of sheep. This peculiarity was most frequently found in the sheep at Gateside at the top of the Duddon Valley - but remember, William Dickinson was writing in 1852.

Interestingly, Bias Atkinson remembers his mother, who I knew, once telling him the Herdwick was the only breed of sheep that would walk into a snow storm. Sheep usually go with a snow storm.

Herdwicks have a great homing instinct and some, when sold, can return home from a dozen or more miles away. Indeed I was told that once, a number of years ago, a farmer sold some of his draft ewes at Broughton to go into Lincolnshire and, over time, some of them returned home to where they had been born. Make of that what you will.

Although the ewes are drafted after four or five crops of lambs, at one time they were kept as long as they would breed, often for 15 or 16 years.

The grand old county of Westmorland was granted a coat of arms in 1929 and on that coat of arms is the figure of a ram's head. Yes, you've guessed it, the head is of a Herdwick Tup, and I am told there is written evidence to support this in the County Archives.

Beatrix Potter, married name Mrs Heelis, was a great enthusiast of Herdwick sheep and regularly exhibited them at shows. She died in 1943, leaving several important hill farms to the National Trust.

As Geoff Brown puts it, "Keeping Herdwick sheep on the fells is as important as keeping the lakes and becks clean, the woodlands managed and the stone walls maintained. Much of this cherished landscape has been created round the keeping of sheep". Long may it be so.

Dialect word: Waffey meaning weak.

Thought for the day: The insurance man told him he was covered for falling off the roof, but not for hitting the ground.

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