Herdwick

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A Herdwick ewe

The Herdwick is a

Lake District in North West England. The name "Herdwick" is derived from the Old Norse herdvyck, meaning sheep pasture.[1] Though low in lambing capacity and perceived wool quality when compared to more common commercial breeds, Herdwicks are prized for their robust health, their ability to live solely on forage, and their tendency to be territorial and not to stray over the difficult upland terrain of the Lake District. It is considered that up to 99% of all Herdwick sheep are commercially farmed in the central and western Lake District.[2]

The wool of a Herdwick has unique qualities relating to durability. Thick bristle type fibres will often protrude from garments made from the wool, forming a protective layer in blizzards—most likely the same qualities that protect the sheep in similar conditions. Herdwicks have been known to survive under a blanket of snow for three days while eating their own wool.[3]

Severely threatened by the 2001 outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in England and Wales, the breed has survived due to the intent to preserve this unique animal as a crucial part of traditional Lakeland agriculture. Still far fewer in number than most commercial breeds, Herdwicks survive largely due to farming subsidies.

History

See also:
Sheep husbandry

Early history

Herdwick tups (rams) are often kept together in bachelor flocks when not let out to cover the ewes.

The

Viking invasions of western England.[1] Although a piece of local folklore once suggested that it came from a wrecked Spanish Armada ship,[5] it appears that the Herdwick was an important breed in the Lake District by the end of the 12th century.[6]

For centuries, the husbandry of Herdwick sheep has been a large factor in shaping the culture and terrain of the Lake District. Topographically, grazing by sheep continues to keep the hillsides of fells largely treeless, and the ubiquitous

Brittonic counting systems.[7]

Beatrix Potter

In the later years of her life (over 50), the children's author Beatrix Potter was involved with keeping and breeding Herdwicks, even acting as president of the breed association for a time. Between 1930 and 1938 she won a number of prizes for Herdwick ewes at shows across Cumbria.[8] Upon her death in 1943, she bequeathed fifteen farms—a total of approximately 4,000 acres (16 km2) to the National Trust and, as per her instruction, all continue to graze Herdwick flocks.[1]

Modern history

Herdwick lambs are born mostly black and lighten with age.

In the modern era, the main industry of the Lake District has shifted from agriculture to tourism. The subsequent influx of tourists to the District has at times conflicted with traditional life, including the raising of Herdwicks. One Lake District farmer summed the problem up as, "We get 100,000 visitors across our land every year... If just one in a thousand forgets to shut a gate or can't be bothered, that's a hundred times we have to go out and round up our sheep."[1]

In the late 20th century, the keeping of Herdwicks became economically unviable without outside support;

sustainable farming practices also receive additional subsidies.[1]

Herdwicks grazing in Cumbria

Ninety-five percent of all 50,000 or so Herdwicks live within 14 miles of

Lord Lonsdale, who wished to save the hill sheep on their lands.[12] Many Lake District residents saw the breed as an indispensable icon of the region. Longtime resident and writer for The Guardian
A. Harry Griffin expressed this feeling:

There are other mountain sheep on the Lakeland fells, notably

Rough-Fells, but the hardy Herdwick is the sheep most likely to be seen in and around the Duddon valley, the Coniston fells, the Buttermere fells and, through Borrowdale or Wasdale, up to the highest land in England, the Scafells
. More than the old drystone walls that quarter the fells, the packhorse bridges or the whitewashed farmsteads, the little grey Herdwick sheep typify the Lakeland. If they and their shepherds go, that is the end of the Lakeland where I have climbed, walked, skied and skated for nearly 80 years; of the Lakeland I have written about nearly all my life.[13]

The destruction of entire flocks meant that the shepherds were forced to undergo the process of again heafing (the local term for hefting) their new sheep to the hills. Normally, ewes teach this behaviour to their lambs, but with no more ewes left acquainted with a particular heaf the behaviour had to be taught all over again to new ewes, inevitably involving much rounding up of flocks that had strayed over the often inaccessible fells. Unheafed sheep might also cause overgrazing by wandering if they replaced the original Herdwicks.[1][14] The Cumbria Hill Sheep Initiative was set up to "reassess the position and circumstances" in the aftermath of the disease; tough government restrictions in order to prevent another outbreak are still in place.[15][16]

In 2008, an

Protected Designation of Origin from the European Union.[18]

Characteristics

Herdwicks are a dual-purpose breed, producing strongly flavoured

fells, from approximately December to April. They are normally left to graze freely on the hillsides (without any additional feed), but each ewe tends to stay in her heaf (the local term for heft), the same small area of fell. Due to the rough conditions on fells, lambing losses can be as high as 25%.[19] This ability to thrive unassisted is part of the reason fell farmers so highly value Herdwicks over much higher-producing lowland breeds.[7]

A Herdwick's grey fleece is not easily dyed and is coarse, so it is best suited to use as

Texel sheep.[2]

Herdwick lambs are born black and, after a year, they lighten to a dark brown colour (the sheep are called hoggs or hoggets at this stage). After the first shearing, their fleece lightens further to grey. Rams are horned and ewes polled.[21] For shows and auctions, Herdwicks traditionally have their wool ruddied up (the local term for raddled) with dye. Rams are also ruddied when put out with the ewes to show which have been mated and the dye is also one method (called a smit) of marking sheep for ownership. Before chemical dyes became available, this dye was made from either iron ore or graphite mixed with grease. For many years the legal method of identifying a particular shepherd's sheep were notches cut out of a sheep's ear, called lug marks—now replaced by ear tags.[1]

References

  1. ^
    National Geographic Magazine. 182 (2). National Geographic Society
    .
  2. ^ a b c "Introduction to Herdwick Sheep". Herdwick Sheep Breeders Association. Archived from the original on 4 February 2012. Retrieved 31 October 2007.
  3. ^ Davies, Hunter. A Walk Around the Lakes, Frances Lincoln Limited, 2009 (revised edition), p. 94
  4. ^ "Herdwick Sheep Breeders Association". Archived from the original on 28 October 2007. Retrieved 31 October 2007.
  5. ^ Ferguson, Richard Saul (1894). A History of Westmoreland. E. Stock. p. 290. Herdwick sheep.
  6. ISBN 978-0-300-08880-9
    .
  7. ^
    ISBN 1-85828-894-0
    .
  8. ISBN 0-7112-2381-5
    . p. 124
  9. ^
    ISBN 1-85828-894-0. Archived from the original
    on 17 October 2007.
  10. ^ Elliot, Valerie (7 March 2009). "Butchers urged to sell meat from rare British sheep". The Times. London.
  11. ^ "UK begins mass animal burial". CNN. 26 March 2001. Archived from the original on 29 October 2007. Retrieved 31 October 2007.
  12. ^ Jones, George (26 March 2001). "Blair puts off use of vaccination in second U-turn". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 19 November 2002. Retrieved 31 October 2007.
  13. ^ "If they go, it is the end of Lakeland". The Guardian. London. 11 April 2001. Retrieved 2 November 2007.
  14. ^ "Ark of Taste". Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity. Retrieved 31 October 2007. [dead link]
  15. ^ "Herdwick Sheep Breeders' News". Herdwick Sheep Breeders Association. Archived from the original on 5 February 2012. Retrieved 31 October 2007.
  16. Whitehaven News. Retrieved 31 October 2007. [dead link
    ]
  17. ^ King, Tim. "Herdwick Sheep: Sturdy & Scrumptious". Sheep! magazine. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
  18. ^ "Protected status for Lakeland Herdwick sheep". BBC. 16 May 2013.
  19. ^
    Lake District National Park Authority. Archived from the original
    on 22 October 2007. Retrieved 1 November 2007.
  20. ^ "Thermafleece: Sheep's Wool Home Insulation". Retrieved 31 October 2007.
  21. Oklahoma State University
    . Retrieved 6 September 2016.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Herdwick.

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