Whiteface Dartmoor

The Whiteface Dartmoor is a traditional sheep from Dartmoor in Devon, England, and is also known by the old regional name Widecombe. It is a sturdy, polled, white-faced breed shaped by wet upland grazing and later longwool influence. Compared with many hill sheep it is broad and heavy-fleeced, with a dense white fleece that can be useful for handspinning, knitting yarn, and durable wool products. It should not be confused with the Greyface Dartmoor, which has a different appearance and breed history.

Whiteface Dartmoors are kept by smallholders, rare-breed flocks, and some conservation graziers who need sheep able to cope with rough pasture and high rainfall. Ewes are generally managed as hardy outdoor mothers, though their size and fleece mean they benefit from sensible winter forage and regular checks before lambing. The heavy wool calls for timely shearing and flystrike prevention, especially in warm, damp spells. As a minority breed, breeding stock is often chosen with an eye to maintaining type, sound feet, and unrelated bloodlines.