Herdwick and Swaledale

The white-faced herdwick is the indigenous Lake District sheep, although legend has it that they came with the Vikings. The black-faced swaledales are a more recent import and are not as hardy, but on good ‘keep’ will produce a bigger crop of lambs. The herdwick is the more powerfully built and will stay its ground when confronted. The tradition of ‘redding’ the herdwick for showing is a custom still carried on today.