Lincoln Longwool

The Lincoln Longwool is an old British breed of sheep. It is the largest sheep of the United Kingdom, and was bred specifically for wool production. The fleece is coarse, wavy, lustrous and long, and hangs in broad staples that separate easily. The heaviest fleece on record was from a Lincoln ram. Many were exported to other countries, particularly in the twentieth century, and the Lincoln has influenced sheep husbandry in many parts of the world, often through cross-breeding with Merino stock. In the twenty-first century it is an endangered breed, categorised by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust as "priority" – its highest level of concern.