As part of the Calvert Trusts’s Anniversary Celebrations 2016, Go Herdwick will see the central Lake District invaded by a flock of 61 life sized decorated Herdwick ewes, appearing in unexpected places such as shops, cafes and on the street, between the 25 March and the 4 September- all paying homage to the Herdwick’s iconic status. The Calvert Trust welcomes over 3,000 people per year to their residential centre, delivering challenging outdoor adventure for those with disabilities.
Herdwicks are Cumbria’s native sheep and are ideally suited to life on the high fells and mountains, grazing at up to 900m (3,000ft). They’re also credited with shaping the Lake District landscape that we see today.
Herdwicks are renowned for their hefting instinct, the ability – passed from a ewe to her lambs – to recognise an area as its home and return there, even after it’s been brought down from the fells for lambing or clipping and has to walk several miles back to its own area or heft.
The breed is found almost exclusively in the Lake District National Park and is concentrated in its western and central areas, including:
- Borrowdale
- Buttermere
- Ennerdale
- Wasdale
- Eskdale
- the Duddon Valley
- Coniston
- the Langdales
- the Helvellyn area around Ullswater and Thirlmere.
Herdwick lambs are black when they’re born, but change colour as they get older, as adult sheep they have white heads and slatey-blue fleeces.
