Breed: Derbyshire Gritstone
Species: Sheep
Description: The breed is hardy and adaptable, coping with rugged country up to 700 meters above sea level. The breed is white with both sexes without horns. It has a clean-cut face and legs with black and white markings. It is large with ewes at 35 – 45 kg and rams at 65 – 75 kg and has a good quality weatherproof fleece. It is unique within the hill breeds in being hornless. The breed is mainly hefted, with housing for approximately two months of the year. They are good mothers, giving lambs with relatively rapid growth rate and good survival traits. The ewes cross with both other hill breeds and continental breed giving improved lamb production. The breed is used for both meat and wool. The flock book was established in 1907 showing a ram register and a ewe register for approximately 10% of ewes, for showing or specialist sale purposes.
History: One of the oldest of British sheep breeds, originating in the Derbyshire hills. Records show that hardy sheep have been in the Derbyshire hills and the Pennine area since the middle ages (1200 –1300 AD). The Derbyshire Gritstone is very probably descended from these. The spread to Lancashire occurred through sheep being droved through Lancashire and some remaining in the area.