Meet Wansford’s rare new arrival

What is believed to be the only Whitefaced Woodland lamb born in the East Riding is getting to know its surroundings in its riverside field at Wansford.

Matt Arnold has a flock of the rare breed sheep, and this spring has successfully managed to breed a single pure breed Whitefaced Woodland lamb.

But with a new pedigree ram onboard, he is hoping next year will bring him more success.

He said: “The Whitefaced Woodland sheep is in the top four of the rarest breeds in the country.

“I set up the flock about two years ago and as far as I am aware we are the only people to keep them as a breed in East Yorkshire.

“Unfortunately, the male we have used this year was not very good and so we have only managed to produce one pure lamb, but we have brought in a big strong pedigree ram and so we are hoping for more pure lambs next spring.”

The Whitefaced Woodland originated in the Pennines on the borders of Derbyshire and Yorkshire.

The breed is very hardy and able to thrive on poor quality grazing and harsh terrain and as such make good conservation grazing animals.

Matt said he believes it is important to keep native breeds, such as the Whitefaced Woodland, alive.

He said: “It is important that traditional breeds such as these are not lost.

“They are more at home on the hills of the Pennines, but they seem to like it here.

“They are a hardy breed and are used for conservation breeding and so they are happy on the land I have here next to the river.

“For me personally, they are the first breed I worked with when I left college in 1999 and I hope that we can keep developing our flock of Whitefaced Woodlands for years to come.”