THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — www.findonvillage.com  created by Valerie Martin, contains scenes from her home village of Findon, West Sussex, U.K.

THE FINDON CASTLEMILK MOORITS

Copyright Valerie Martin

The Castlemilk Moorit breed of sheep has undergone a resurgence I am told.   They are certainly glamorous.

This breed has origins in the early 1900s when a gentleman by the name of Sir Jock Buchanan-Jardine began a breeding programme on his Castlemilk Estate in Dumfriesshire.   He tried breeding Max Loghtan, moorit Shetland and the wild Mouflon sheep in pursuit of his desire for a flock of sheep that would enhance his parkland.   

In 1985 there were only 95 ewes in Great Britain and in 1989 the number had increased to 120, numbers are believed to have gone up ever so slightly since then.

If you are lucky when out on a walk..... you may run across such a group of Castlemilk Moorit in Findon (especially if they have escaped through their fencing in a bid for escape into the village  countryside).  From this you will have already guessed that Castlemilks are very agile and fleet footed.   

I am informed that some owners also claim their flocks are very intelligent and ewes are extremely good mothers and defend their lambs to the bitter end.  

The Castlemilk Moorits are long-lived, and there are recordings of ewes producing lambs at 14 years of age.... so long may I see them in the Findon countryside I say!

The flock on the Castlemilk Estate was dispersed back in 1970, but six ewes and a ram were bought by Joe Henson of the Cotswold Farm Park and from then on all of today's Castlemilk Moorits (including the Findon ones) are descended from these few precious specimens. 

Findon has always been sheep country and this proves it to this day.

Continue if you would like to read about Laddie Visits Nepcote.

THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — www.findonvillage.com is a continually growing record created by Valerie Martin exclusively for documenting life in Findon.