3 of 20 Stages of the Evolution of British Wool
The Roman invasion of Britain introduced a white and hornless sheep with a very shoft fleece. These sheep evolved into our longwool varieties, including the Cotswold, Ryeland, Romany and Leicester, all producing exceptionally fine wools.
Early Ryeland sheep breed, featurd in J.Jenkins (1975) The wool Textile Industry of Great Britain.
A swatch of the Cotswold sheep breed, showing the luster associated with the longwool breeds
