We have a small flock of rare and native breed sheep including pedigree black and white Wensleydales. We sometimes have wool, sheepskins and meat for sale - please see our Products section. Sheep occasionally for sale too!

Wensleydale sheep are on the Rare Breed Survival Trusts "At Risk" Register. We started our flock with three black ewes, who produced 5 lambs in 2008. Our 5 lambs born in 2009 were conceived by artificial insemination.  By 2013 we had 13 black breeding ewes and two rams of white parentage which is rare and adds diversity to the genetics of the Black Wensleydale. 

In 2011 we started a white flock having purchased some exceptional ewes.  We don’t mix the two flocks as this result in non pedigree lambs.

Wensleydales are a dual purpose sheep producing some of the best wool but also being rather tasty! The breed was developed for crossing onto hill ewes to produce prolific, milky and hardy breeding ewes. Our ewes often have twins and are fantastic mothers.

Wensleydales are large sheep, with an average ram weighing in at 136kgs! The British Meat and Livestock Commission describe the Wensleydale as "probably the heaviest of all our indigenous breeds". They have a distinctive blue head and ears with a 'topping' of woolly forelock. They are a good looking, strong sheep with a broad level back on wide quarters and strong thighs.

We originally kept a small flock of Shetland sheep which came from the Scottish Wildlife Trusts "Flying Flock" which graze conservation grassland sites. Our Shetlands are cheeky characters compared to our rather laid-back Wensleydales! We had some Shetland x Wensleydale lambs of various colours which also had lovely fleeces. We called them Shetlydales.

With only around 100 lambs entered into the flock book each year, the black Wensleydales are extremely rare. Our Black flock was established in 2008 with three foundation ewes by West End Smoke. Our first lambs, by West End Crow, were born in spring 2008 and included 3 ewe lambs which were retained for breeding. In autumn 2008 our original 3 ewes were artificially inseminated using semen from West End Ace of Spades and we were delighted to gain another three ewe lambs to breed from.

In autumn 2009 we purchased our first ram Beech Hill Bravo (by Beech Hill Grey Owl x Uppermill Eclipse). Bravo tupped our original 3 ewes and the first three homebred ewes (by West End Crow). In spring 2010 eight black Wensleydale lambs were born - 4 male and 4 female.
In autumn 2010 Bravo tupped two of the foundation ewes by West End Smoke, the three 2009 ewes by West End Crow and the three 2010 ewes by West End Ace of Spades. These ewes produced 10 lambs in 2011, again with a 50/50 male:female ratio!
In 2012 we registered 1 black pedigree daughter of Bravo.  All the other lambs were boys!  We now had several Bravo daughters that we wanted to breed with so were on the lookout for a new ram. 

In the autumn we used two new black rams who produced 19 pedigree lambs in 2013, ten of which are female. 
 
Forest Lea Jack (by the ram Endrigs Frederick) was born in 2011 to two white parents and we were very excited to be able to purchase him.  He adds new genetics to our flock. 

In autumn 2012 we purchased a new black ram Gedgrave Sammie who is by the black ram Felinrhyd Moonshadow and from a ewe of white parentage with Millhouse Boy bloodlines.  He came second in the Longwool class at the Suffolk Show and the judge commented that his fleece was the best seen that day. Again being from white stock he will add diversity to the bloodlines of our sheep.

We have 13 black Wensleydale ewes getting tupped in autumn 2013 and are using three rams – Beach Hill Bravo, Gedgrave Sammie and Forrest Lea Jack.  Looking forward to spring!  

After starting out with a black flock of Wensleydales, in 2010 we purchased a white ram and two ewe lambs. Leyburn Levi (by Leyburn Cascade) was bought at Melton Mowbray in 2010 having been judged 3rd best Wensleydale.
Our foundation flock boasts the Champion female sheep and Reserve Champion of the Wensleydale Breed Society Show at Skipton Mart in 2010. She is from the highly successful Thistle flock and is by Thistle Barron x Providence President. We purchased another ewe lamb from the same flock by Thistle Dandy x Princethorpe Baroque - she was the 3rd placed ewe lamb of the 2010 show. They both have spectacular fleece quality. These ewes were tupped by Leyburn Levi autumn 2011.

In 2011 we added to our foundation ewes with the purchase of five shearling ewes from Skipton Mart. Three of the ewes are sired by Maesafon Gareth Thomas (by Beehive Villa Evan) who was the 2008 Wensleydale Breed Champion at the Melton Mowbray show run by the Rare Breed Survival Trust. Another ewe is sired by the Supreme Champion at Skipton 2006, Providence Lucius, who was also 3rd at the Great Yorkshire Show. The final ewe is by Thistle Dragon x Providence Lucius.

We had some fantastic white ewes tupped by Leyburn Levi in autumn 2011 to establish our white flock. Sadly we lost our magnificent Levi in 2012 but at least we now have 3 daughters to carry on his legacy. 
 
In autumn 2012 we bought Gedgrave Jonah who is by Pyghtle Joe.  He gave us 4 ram lambs and 4 ewe lambs in 2013. We kept one ewe lamb and sold the other three.
 
In autumn 2013 have 3 Levi daughters and 6 of the original ewes being tupped by Gedrave Jonah.