About Us
Whetcombe Herdwicks is a flock of purebred Herdwick sheep, lovingly reared in the hilly fields of South Devon, in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on the edge of Dartmoor National Park. Our stock traces its lineage from the natural bloodlines of the Lake District Herdwicks and the qualities laid out in the Herdwick breed standard. We are registered members of the Herdwick Sheep Breeders Association (#755).
Our origins...
The story began one winter with a request from a local farmer to hand-rear his orphan lambs. Before we knew it, our fields were home to more than 100 lambs per season. Having developed that sideline into a successful micro-enterprise, the natural progression was to develop our own breeding stock.
Keen to capitalise on our lifelong fondness for the Herdwick breed and a keen interest in its heritage, we purchased our first four ewes (pictured above) from a local breed sale at Exeter Market in 2014. From there, we went on to expand our flock with a tup and a selection of ewes from Crookabeck Farm in Patterdale, on the Lakeland fells, and the rest, as they say, is history.
... and objectives
Whetcombe Herdwicks supports the HSBA's stated aim of encouraging breeders outside of the traditional Lakeland region to develop new, purebred flocks and thus help to secure the Herdwick gene pool for future generations.
Our preference is for strong, independent, well-boned Herdwicks, bred to the standards expected by the HSBA and drawn from the traditional Lake District bloodlines, but raised to be ideally suited to the enclosed, lowland environments of southern England. Unlike their Cumbrian cousins, our Herdwicks have not been hefted on the open fells but are raised instead as hardy smallholding stock, perfect for purebreed enthusiasts, cross-breeders and hobby farmers.