This year heralds an exciting time for breeders and enthusiasts of the Wensleydale Longwool Sheep Breed.

This beautiful Yorkshire sheep breed celebrates its 150th year in 2026 and the Wensleydale Longwool Sheep Breeders' Association is gearing up to a special year with a series of events. The breed is one of very few that can trace its history back to a single animal – namely a ram called Bluecap.

Bred in 1839 and through breeding with the local 'mugg' sheep, the Wensleydale Longwool eventually was named in 1876 when they were asked to hold classes at the Great Yorkshire Show and the first attempt to form a breed association was made at the same time.

The Wensleydale Longwool is a large sheep that is renowned for its quality, long and lustrous wool and blue skin and is recognised on the Rare Breed Survival Trusts 'Watchlist' as being 'At Risk'.

On Saturday, October 5, the WLSBA is holding a workshop day for members and, hopefully, future members at Chilton Grounds Farm Flock in Buckinghamshire.

Kindly hosted by Diana Bird and Duncan Parker, this will be an informal day to learn, enjoy and meet other Wensleydale members. There will be talks from society members Mark Elliott, Sue Holdich, Diana and Duncan themselves, as well as their son Charlie, who is a vet.

Along with input from other WLSBA members, it is hoped members will come away from the day keen to go try some new things with their flock, as well as having learnt a lot about the breed. The association welcomes all who are interested, although spaces are limited, so email the WLSBA secretary, Anna Pennell (see below).

Following that, members of the association have organised the first of what is hoped to be a travelling exhibition of Wensleydale craft. Entitled 'Wensleydale Sheep – A Handcrafted History', 40 of the best fibre artists have come together to create an exhibition of Wensleydale Longwool craft inspired by the last 150 years of the association.

Using a variety of mediums from knitting to felting to embroidery and beyond, the exhibition will open at The Handweavers Studio & Gallery, Seven Sisters, London, on October 12 and run for six weeks. The exhibition will then travel up to Yorkshire in 2025 with exhibitions planned at both Tennants Garden Rooms, Leyburn, as well as the Yorkshire Dales Countryside Museum.

The WLSBA has two annual sales of stock: the first is on Saturday, August 31, at CCM Skipton. The association has a long relationship with CCM and this will mark the 133rd Wensleydale LSBA sale to be held there.

This will be followed by the second sale of the year, which is at Melton Mowbray Market as part of their Traditional & Rare Breeds sale to be held on Friday, September 13, and Saturday, September 14.

Contact the association secretary Anna Pennell if you would like to find out more information about this breed or to be connected to local breeders by emailing secretary@wlsba.co.uk, calling 07949 989976 or visiting www.wlsba.co.uk.