Cotswold Sheep

by Lisa Carpenter of Kline Creek Farm, West Chicago, IL

Cotswolds are one of the most important breeds in British history, with a legacy extending to the United States. But ironically, the breed is now considered rare by the Livestock Conservancy in the United States and the Rare Breeds Survival Trust in England. Modern agriculture has pushed out breeds like the Cotswold, but this hardy dual-purpose sheep continues to be an asset to the small-scale farmer. Their importance in the history of the British and American sheep industries is undeniable.

Sheep were so central to the Cotswold region in southern England that the region was named for sheep, “cote” being a sheep shelter and “wold” an open rolling field. The sheep breed that became known as the Cotswold are believed to have been developed from sheep brought to England by Roman conquerors almost 2,000 years ago. Wool from the Cotswolds region was considered the finest in the world, desired by the crown for displays of wealth, as well as a powerful commodity for international trade. According to a twelfth century saying, “In Europe the best wool is English, and in England the best wool is Cotswold.” The Cotswold region’s economy was founded on wool and the profits funded the grand “wool churches” in the area. In England, the breed is often called the Cotswold “Lion,” referencing their magnificent bearing and distinctive locks around the face. The lion has long been the symbol of England, prominent on the royal arms, making a good argument for the Cotswold Lion being the representative sheep of England.

The Cotswold has historically been a dual-purpose sheep. The fleece of a mature Cotswold generally weighs 12-15 pounds with a yield of about 60 percent. Staple length is generally 8-12 inches with a fiber diameter of 33-42 microns. The fleece is long and lustrous, hanging in ringlets. Cotswolds traditionally are a white sheep, though colored Cotswolds are now highly desirable by fiber artists and are recorded in a separate Cotswold registry. Cotswolds can be sheared twice a year since some fiber mills won’t take the longer staple length, but many feel that a full year’s growth allows this longwool breed to showcase its full potential. Long staple lengths are ideal for doll’s wigs, Santa beards, and worsted-spun yarn, which best showcases the wool’s incredible luster. Cotswold wool also takes dye exceptionally well, resulting in rich, brilliant colors.

Historically, white wool was a necessity because black wool was simply not salable. The wool trade needed a consistent product that could be dyed any color, which was only possible with white wool. This is why most European breeds of sheep are consistently white—they have been selected for this trait for millennia. Over the past several decades, small-scale fiber artists have come to appreciate the beautiful variation and rich tones of colored sheep, which has increased the popularity of pigmented sheep.

With all the focus on Cotswold wool, it can be easy to forget that they were and continue to be an excellent meat breed. Those who claim to not like the gamey taste of lamb, have a change of heart after tasting meat from the longwool breeds, which have a milder flavor. They are a largeframed sheep, producing growthy lambs. Mature ewes can weigh up to 200 pounds, rams up to 300 pounds.

Cotswold rams have a calm temperament, and the ewes are excellent mothers, typically producing twins. As with most sheep, assistance is occasionally required during lambing, but many Cotswold shepherds regularly report finding new lambs up and nursing in the morning, born unassisted. Cotswolds are hardy; they are the only “hill breed” of English longwool sheep and were historically kept in harsh environments.

Cotswolds first came to America when Christopher Dunn of Albany, New York imported a ram in 1832. Cotswolds were originally imported to cross with Robert Bakewell’s Leicester sheep. Cotswolds rapidly grew in popularity and large numbers were imported over the next half century. The first notable purebred Cotswold breeder in America was Justus C. Haviland of Duchess County, New York, who established his flock in 1836. The breed grew in popularity, and in 1876 Henry Stewart wrote in his Shepherd’s Manual (1876) that the Cotswold “has become so common in America, and has been bred so extensively without fresh importations of new blood, that it may well be adopted as a native sheep.”

The American Cotswold Record Association (ACRA), founded in 1878, was the first sheep registry established in the United States. By 1913, the United States Department of Agriculture reported 74,455 Cotswolds in the country. The Cotswold became the favored sire to cross with range Merino ewes to produce market lambs. The resulting lambs had the size of the Cotswold with the finer fleece of the Merino. Cotswolds remained one of the most popular breeds until the preference shifted to smaller earlier maturing lambs and the growth of the Australian Merino wool trade. In 1990, the Black Cotswold Registry was founded as a sister registry to the ACRA. This registry allows for the registration of colored Cotswolds.

Like most volunteer-run breed associations, ACRA has had its ups and downs over the years. In the past few years, ACRA has experienced a resurgence with a new board, growing membership, and new website. ACRA has benefitted from grants from the Livestock Conservancy, which have allowed us to create a new website and begin transcribing our registry records, which only existed on paper until recent years. Cotswold breeders have also been working to get semen imported from the United Kingdom to help with genetic diversity while maintaining the historical US lines in the breed. In 2024, the Cotswold was the featured breed at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival, the largest festival of its kind in the United States. Despite this resurgence of interest, the Cotswold is not safe from extinction. Dedicated breeders and living history farms do what they can to help the breed, but only by bringing in new breeders can this breed continue to survive.

American Cotswold Record Association
S5001 William Court, Eau Claire, WI 54701
715-829-5384
https://cotswoldacra.com
info@cotswoldacra.com