English Leicester
English Leicester sheep are the Leicester Longwool type associated with Robert Bakewell's eighteenth-century breeding work at Dishley in Leicestershire. Also called Dishley Leicester or Leicester Longwool, they are large, polled longwool sheep with a lustrous fleece and major historical influence on later British and colonial sheep breeds.
Modern English Leicester flocks are often heritage, fiber, or conservation flocks rather than mainstream commercial lamb enterprises. Breeders pay close attention to lock structure, fleece luster, frame, and breed character, while also selecting for lambing soundness and mobility so the sheep remain practical farm animals rather than only historical exhibits. Their genes also explain why the breed matters far beyond the small number of flocks keeping it, particularly in longwool and heritage breeding.
