Leicester Longwool fleece (rare breed) with Shetland wool backing.

This fleece is from a sheep named Merida that lives in NH.

Size: 2.8 feet by 2 feet (measured by fleece side - not backing material).

This sheep has beautiful tight curls with a shiny luster! It is super silky and soft to the touch. The Leicester Longwool is considered a rare breed and a conservation priority (see below).

About the breed From The Livestock Conservancy:

The Leicester Longwool was highly prized in America, especially for its use in crossbreeding to improve “native” stock. During the 1800s, however, the breed lost favor to the Merino and other fine wool breeds. After 1900, the Leicester Longwool fell into decline and was likely extinct in the United States during the 1930s or 1940s. A very small population remained in Canada. In 1990, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, a historic site in Virginia, reestablished the breed in North America by importing sheep from Australia. Several conservation flocks have now been established, and the population of Leicester Longwool sheep in North America is increasing. This is important, given that the breed remains rare globally.

Leicester Longwools are medium to large sheep, weighing 180 to 250 pounds. The fleece is heavy, curly, soft handling, and lustrous with a spiral-tipped staple up to eight inches. Fleeces weigh from 11 to 15 pounds, occasionally up to 20 pounds.

The Leicester Longwool has been of great historic and genetic value, having a part in the founding or improving of many other breeds, including the Border Leicester and the Corriedale. While distinguished by its past, this breed’s future is far from secure, and it is a conservation priority.