[Harebell]

Hello, I've been looking through some old photos of the family farm - we've been in south Wiltshire for a few generations.  I came across these sheep photos and wondered what the breed was.  I was thinking Dorset Down, but not sure.  I'm sorry the scan isn't very good!  I think the photos are from 1940s.

[Marches Farmer]

Hampshire Down?

[Fleecewife]

Llanwenog?



modified:  from second scan, yes definitely not a Llanwenog   

[SallyintNorth]

I can't quite make up my mind whether the ewe's face is white or dark.  If white, then perhaps Southdown?  If dark(er) then either Dorset or Hampshire Down, being geographically nearest.  I don't know to what extent farms would have had the local breed back then...

The lambs look darker, maybe Suffolk X ?

[Womble]

I love the pen they're in! 

[Backinwellies]

Llanwenog?

not Llanwenog I don't think  ... Llanwenog lambs come out black  and there seems to be too much wool under chin.

[Harebell]

I can't quite make up my mind whether the ewe's face is white or dark.  If white, then perhaps Southdown?  If dark(er) then either Dorset or Hampshire Down, being geographically nearest.  I don't know to what extent farms would have had the local breed back then...

The lambs look darker, maybe Suffolk X ?

Yes, I'm thinking either Dorset or Hampshire Down, just can't decide which!  I've attached another photo of the same ewe and her lambs which is a better scan I think.

Someone in the village gave us these photos a couple of years ago as his grandfather was the shepherd when my great-grandfather was in charge of the farm.

[Harebell]

And there's also this photo of a white faced sheep - which I have no idea about...lleyn? - taken in the same period, sometime in 1930s/40s we think.

[shep53]

 Looking at sheep breeds in the  40's/50's the dark sheep could be  DORSET DOWN -  HAMPSHIRE - SHROPSHIRE - OXFORD    all looked pretty similar , with woolly heads /faces / legs  brown faces   , tight fleeces  and horizontal  medium brown ears .  Probably  which ever breed was nearest which from the map in my book is oxford ??   The white sheep is classic  CHEVIOT

[Harebell]

Oh, yes the white faced sheep definitely looks like a Cheviot - perhaps they were popular in south Wiltshire back then!

I looked at a few old black and white photos of Down breeds and am erring on the side of the ewe being a Dorset Down, but difficult to tell

Photos from Museum of Rural Life:

Dorset Down ram 1961
https://www.reading.ac.uk/merl/research/countrysideimages/merl-PFSPH1_K86537.aspx

Hampshire Down ram lambs 1959
https://www.reading.ac.uk/merl/research/countrysideimages/merl-PFSPH1_K77601.aspx

Oxford Down and Suffolk rams 1957
https://www.reading.ac.uk/merl/research/countrysideimages/merl-PFSPH1_K69373.aspx

[SallyintNorth]

Dorset would be the nearest geographically to South Wilts, I assume?  And there seems to be no reason to think it's not a Dorset Down...

The white ewe doesn't look at all like a Cheviot to me, but I guess I am more used to the North Country type, which has much longer ears and a much more rounded (convex) nose.  Looking at pics for the Border / South Country type, she could be... 

[langfauld easycare]

  hampshire or shropshire be my guess for this one

[Harebell]

Dorset would be the nearest geographically to South Wilts, I assume?  And there seems to be no reason to think it's not a Dorset Down...

The white ewe doesn't look at all like a Cheviot to me, but I guess I am more used to the North Country type, which has much longer ears and a much more rounded (convex) nose.  Looking at pics for the Border / South Country type, she could be... 

The Hampshire border is just a couple of miles to the east and the Dorset border is a few miles further away to the west, so geographically they are both quite close!