Wensleydale sheep facts for kids

A Wensleydale sheep with its long, full wool.

The soft, long wool of an adult Wensleydale sheep.

A six-day-old black Wensleydale lamb taking a rest.

The Wensleydale is a special type of domestic sheep from Britain. It gets its name from the beautiful Wensleydale area in North Yorkshire, which is in the north of England. This sheep breed was first created there in the early 1800s. Farmers carefully bred them by mixing a Leicester Longwool ram (a male sheep) with local sheep that had long wool. Sadly, those original local sheep are now extinct, meaning they no longer exist.

Wensleydale sheep have a unique blue-grey face and long, curly wool. They are also one of the heaviest sheep breeds in Britain. Because there are not many of them left, the Wensleydale is considered an endangered breed. The Rare Breeds Survival Trust lists them as "at risk." Farmers often use Wensleydale rams to breed with other sheep. This helps them create lambs for meat or to get their excellent quality wool.

History of the Wensleydale Sheep

The Wensleydale breed started with a famous ram named 'BLUE CAP'. He was born in 1838 from a special pairing. His father was a Leicester ram, and his mother was a Teeswater ewe (a female sheep). BLUE CAP became the very first male sheep used to start the Wensleydale breed.

Today, you can find Wensleydale sheep all over the United Kingdom. They have also spread into other parts of Europe. This breed is even becoming popular in the United States of America. The Wensleydale sheep also helped create another important breed, the Bluefaced Leicester.

What Makes Wensleydale Sheep Special?

A Wensleydale sheep after its wool has been shorn.

Wensleydale sheep have a distinct look. Their faces, ears, and legs are a grey-black color. Their ears are a bit long and stand straight up. They naturally do not have horns, which is called being "polled." They also have a cool tuft of long wool on top of their heads. Farmers usually do not shear this wool because it looks nice. The wool that hangs between their ears and over their face is called the topping.

Male Wensleydale sheep, called rams, can weigh about 278 pounds (126 kg). Female Wensleydale sheep, called ewes, weigh around 200 pounds (90 kg).