Romney (or Kent) sheep provide the wool for some of our favourite knitting yarns here at Flock. With the arrival on our shelves of Lore Minis from The Fibre Co., we’re kicking off our series of breed-explorations by taking a deeper look at the fascinating history of our local sheep breed.

History of Romney Sheep

Romney sheep take their name from the Romney Marsh in Kent, where they were first farmed. The Marsh is a large, flat and sparsely populated area of about 100 square miles situated on the Kent-Sussex border roughly twelve miles east of Hastings. It has been reclaimed from the sea over many centuries and can be a damp, windy and rainy place, but is also very fertile. Sheep keeping on Romney Marsh can be traced back to the 13th Century, and the Romney breed has evolved over the centuries in relative isolation to the sheep that we can still see grazing there today.

Owlers and Wool Smuggling

With its plentiful supply of wool, and proximity to the sea, the Marsh has long been associated with smuggling. In medieval times English wool was highly sought after on the continent for its strength and softness. In 1275, in an effort protect the English cloth industry, a tax of £3 per bag (in today’s money) was introduced for every bag of wool that was exported across the Channel. This was doubled in 1298 and was the first permanent customs system established in England. By 1660 it was illegal to export wool at all, and the death penalty was introduced in 1662 for wool smuggling. This did little to stop the smuggling activity on Romney Marsh, and by 1689 it’s estimated that 480 000 pounds of wool was being smuggled out to France each year. Wool smugglers were known as ‘Owlers’ and the trade that grew out of exporting wool soon expanded to include the import of luxury goods such as tea, silk, tobacco and brandy from the continent.

In 1698 a law was passed that nobody living within fifteen miles of the sea in Kent or Sussex could buy wool without a legal bond that he would not sell it on to anybody else living within 15 miles of the sea. Growers of wool within ten miles of the coast were obliged to account for any fleeces shorn within three days of shearing and to state where they were stored. By 1700 ‘Riding Officers’ were stationed along the coast to control the illegal export of wool.

The smuggling of wool began to decline in the early eighteenth century as European weavers found cheaper sources of wool and other materials such as cotton became more readily available. There was no longer such a demand for English wool in Europe and it didn’t command the high price that it once had. Wool smuggling was simply not profitable any longer.

Lookers and Looker’s Huts

In the early 14th Century, Romney Marsh was as populated as any other area of Kent, however by 1660 the harbour at Romney had silted up and it was the least populated area in the county. This is when the area became famous for sheep keeping and by the 17th Century it supported flocks five times larger than anywhere else in Kent.

During the 17th and 18th Centuries, much of the land on the Marsh was in the ownership of absentee landlords, and ‘Lookers’ were employed to care for their flocks. These were local men who would each be responsible for up to 500 acres or more and for looking after the sheep of several landowners (this made them different from shepherds, who would be responsible for a single flock). Small, brick built huts known as Looker’s huts were widely constructed across the marsh at this time. They were a place for the Lookers to store their tools and medicines, and to use as a base for their duties. Although they generally lived in the villages, during lambing season they might stay in these huts for up to six weeks at a time. Around 300 huts could once be found across the landscape of Romney Marsh, but today only around ten remain.

Wartime Evacuation

In 1939 around half the Romney sheep were compulsorily purchased by the Government and evacuated to the West Country and Yorkshire under the Government’s Plough Now Campaign. In 1940 the War Department planned to flood a large part of the marsh if the enemy attempted to cross the channel, by letting the seawater in. The sheep couldn’t be moved without shearing them first and so shearers were brought in from all parts of the country. They worked day and night for three weeks shearing over 90000 sheep. Once the evacuation was complete many of the bridges across the dykes and the Royal Military Canal were destroyed and much of the land was commandeered for military use.

Export of Romneys

Romneys were first exported to New Zealand in 1853 and in the 1960s they made up around three quarters of New Zealand’s national flock of 50 000 000 sheep. They are one of the world’s most successful sheep breeds and have been exported to many other countries including Patagonia, Brazil, Portugal, Australia and North America.

Characteristics

“The sheep are of a breed that takes its name from the marsh. They are called Romney Marsh sheep. Very pretty and large. The wethers, when fat, weigh about twelve stone, or one hundred pounds. The faces of these sheep are white; and, indeed, the whole sheep is as white as a piece of writing paper. The wool does not look dirty and oily like that of other sheep.”
-William Cobbett, English pamphleteer, journalist, politician and farmer, writing in 1823

Romneys are a long wool breed with open faces and wool that covers their legs. They have white faces, black noses and no horns. Their fleece is either white or coloured (grey, black and brown). They are quite large, but generally have a docile and calm temperament. They have developed a resistance to foot rot and parasites - common conditions in sheep that are kept in wet environments. Romneys are often used for conservation grazing as they are hardy and able to survive on poor forage.

Fleece & Yarn

Romney fleece is heavy with a high yield, with a single fleece usually weighing 3 to 4.5 kg. The fleece is thick and long with a staple length (the length of individual fibres) ranging from 6-8 inches. It is also lustrous and well crimped and ideal for hand spinning. It also takes dye really well and is resistant to felting. It’s ideal for a range of uses, such as sweaters, blankets and rugs.

We stock several yarns that are spun from pure Romney wool. These include the range from Romney Marsh Wools and The Fibre Co. Lore and Lore Minis. As a knitting yarn, Romney has a lovely robust and ‘woolly’ feel. It has great stitch definition, and stitches tend to appear neat and lie flat. It will bloom and soften on washing and will be soft enough to wear next to skin for most people.