Grazing grey-streaked coats & white heads; Herdwick sheep on the fells. They never stray from their 'heaf' - the area they were suckled Lake District.
Herdwick sheep are the native breed of the central and western Lake District and live on the highest of England's mountains. They are extremely hardy and are managed in the traditional way on the Lake District fells that have been their home for generations. Herdwick lambs are always born black - it's not known why but Jo hypothesises it may be to absorb warmth up on the wild fells and provide camouflage among the stones. The Herdwick, whose name derives from "herdvyck" the old Norse word for sheep pasture, has helped shape the Lake District, Jo adds. "When people first settled in this area thousands of years ago, there wasn't really much you could grow in this area. "These sheep are really the only things that would live up there and became synonymous with this area. "That very ancient system of local pastoral farming has shaped the landscape and social structure here." The system of farming has barely changed since the Vikings arrived in the 8th Century.
Size: 5120px × 3413px
Location: Cumbria, UK
Photo credit: © MediaWorldImages / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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