At Home Farm Wensleydales, we’ve spent over 19 years working closely with rare breeds including Wensleydales, Bluefaced Leicesters and Lincoln Longwools - helping to strengthen and support these wonderful sheep across many flocks in the UK.
In 2021, we passed most of our flock to an experienced farmer in Devon, allowing us to focus fully on what we love most - beautiful wool and fibre.
We only use wool we can trace back to our own flock or trusted starter flocks, so we always know exactly where it comes from and how the sheep are cared for.
All our wool is processed in the UK and carefully packed by hand, ready to bring something special to your craft.
✨ From sheep to skein—with knowledge, care, and a genuine love of fibre.
'There Are Over 900 Breeds of Sheep, But None Quite as Beautiful as the Wensleydale'.
The Wensleydale Breed
... Sustainability – natural, renewable, biodegradable.
Originating in North Yorkshire, early in the 19th century, the breed stems from a cross of the long extinct longwool breed from the River Tees region (where I’m from) and a single, outstanding, ram from Leicester (near Home Farm), called 'Bluecap'.
During its earliest years, the breed was developed through hardy rams and hill ewes, with the intention being to produce a high quality, valuable fleece.
‘No woolman who has ever seen the sheep or wool will ever forget it’. Kenneth Ponting, Sheep of the World
Bluefaced Leicesters
... Supporting British Farming and UK manufacturing
The Bluefaced Leicester is descended from the Border Leicester with some Wensleydale blood added to give it a distinctive quality. For traditional sheep farmers, this breed is one of the most important new breeds to evolve in the late 19th and 20th century. The fleece is finer than the Wensleydale with a lower micron count.
Lincoln Longwools
The Lincoln Longwool is one of the most historically important breeds of sheep in Britain in the last 200 years. Since the 16th century Lincolnshire had a tradition of exporting wool to Europe. Robert Bakewell’s improvement of the neighbouring Leicester gave a huge impetus to the refinement and development of Lincoln sheep. Throughout the 19th century the breed was pre-eminent amongst wool sheep, and was exported in large numbers to Australia, New Zealand and Argentina to help boost their wool crop.
Uses for the fleece of Black Lincoln Longwool sheep
The wool was principally intended to be used in carpets or wall hangings and its lustrous surface made it excellent for dyeing. Unfortunately this also meant that black wool was extremely undesirable and black lambs were either killed at birth or when ready for the table. It was only with the appearance of a market for hand spinners in the 1960’s that some breeders kept a few of the coloured sheep. In the mid 1980’s the breed association agreed to register “Black Lincolns” in a separate section. This decision has never been accepted by main breeders who intensely dislike the black version!
The description ‘black’ is not very helpful as the wool is only really black on the head and rump, which is the worst quality wool on the sheep. Generally a mid-grey is the most common colour from the fleece.
Technical information about the fleece
- Staple length 15-35cm
- Bradford count 36-40 cm
- Micron measurement 45-41
- Weight 7-10 Kgs
Our biggest priority is the kind and fair treatment of the animals that do the hard work and the environment.
Our Wool
100% genuinely grown and processed in the UK
We offer pure Wensleydale wool for knitting, crochet and felting - perfect for creating beautiful, lasting pieces.
Occasionally blended with Bluefaced Leicester, Mohair, or Alpaca, our yarns are spun from the finest fleeces to create truly luxurious fibres. All of our wool is washed and spun in Yorkshire, ensuring full traceability and authenticity from start to finish.
✨ Honest wool, beautifully made.
We also supply an exclusive range of incredible wool spun by hand. This exquisite wool is lovingly spun in Kent by a very experienced and talented spinner and is a perfect compliment for any hand knitted garment or spoil yourself with a hat or some gloves.
Thank you
When you buy wool from Home Farm Wensleydale Wool, you can feel confident that every ball and skein has been produced with the utmost love and care, not only for its quality and beauty but also with a deep commitment to animal welfare. Thank you for your support.
THANK YOU FOR VISITING OUR WEBSITE
WE SHIP WORLDWIDE
