Rare sheep arrive in the county

Five rare black Shropshire sheep who will supply wool to a knitted gifts business have finally arrived in the county.

The sheep, which have travelled from Yorkshire, were delayed because they contracted mange and were kept in quarantine until they had recovered.

The animals were yesterday delivered to Wroxeter Hall Hotel, near Shrewsbury, where owner Hannah Hall will keep them as pets.

But they will earn their keep in the county as local farmer Pippa Geddes intends to make gifts out of their rare dark wool.

Black or coloured Shropshire sheep are extremely rare.

The black sheep at Wroxeter were born in two related flocks of pedigree Shropshires in Yorkshire during 2008 and have been brought to the county by local sheep breeders, Pippa and her husband Peter, who run a flock of white Shropshires at Alderton, near Nesscliffe.

The couple are interested in the coloured Shropshires mainly for their wool, which they plan to market through their business Flock of Ages.

The business uses Shropshire wool to make a range of knitted gifts. The wool is often dyed using natural plant pigments, but black and dark brown are colours that cannot be obtained with natural dyestuffs.

There are three females and two males in the new flock.