The Tees River of England has supported human habitation for many, many thousands of years. The river valley supported the many small farms over that time that used the fertile river soil to cultivate crops and raise livestock. And it was here that, only couple of hundred years ago, the eponymous Teeswater sheep became established.

Native short-tailed had been in England since at least the late Neolithic. It was only after the early Roman invasions that soldiers and settlers brought along the Roman longwool sheep that would interbreed with the indigenous sheep and become the foundation for all English longwool breeds. As with many English sheep breeds such as the Cotswold and Lincoln, Teeswater sheep took their name from the region in which they lived.

Small farms around the Tees River underwent significant transformation during the Medieval Age, which marked the decline of open fields and common grazing areas. Instead, land was divided up into plots frequently owned by the gentry or the church. These changes likely resulted in an increase in crop and livestock production throughout the land surrounding the Tees River. It must also have helped to produce especially large sheep, as by the early 1800s at least one agricultural writer likened the size of the Teeswater sheep to that of a donkey.

Despite their impressive size, Teeswater sheep did not become an especially popular meat or wool breed. Slow growing and requiring a lot of feed during the winters, many farmers preferred smaller sheep breeds. However, as crossbreeding to improve the breeds became increasingly popular over the late 1700s and 1800s, the Teeswater took on a particular role for which they are still used today. They could enhance both the size and meat quality of small hill breeds.

Further crossbreeding experiments followed throughout the 1800s and early 1900s. Soon, there was a distinction between the Old Teeswater and the Improved Teeswater, with the latter having more wool, as well as softer and more lustrous locks. The Teeswater was also bred with one of Robert Bakewell’s Leicester Longwools to create the now well-known Wensleydale sheep, whose long, curly locks still enthrall spinners and other fiber artists. While similar to the Teeswater, Wensleydales were easier to keep and soon became more popular for wool and breeding. And so, the popularity of the Teeswater began to dwindle. Shortly after the economic conditions brough on by WWI lessened the popularity of the breed even further.

After WWII there was a resurgence of interest in the Teeswater breed. Sheep farmers began to rediscover how well Teeswater sheep could improve lowland sheep breeds While it was true that Wensleydale rams were still popular for the same purpose, some farmers began to favor Teeswaters over Wensleydales because the Teeswaters had something the Wensleydales did not – a super cute brown or black spots around their eyes and on their noses. Yes, really – the cute factor was the tie breaker for some of those sheep farmers. These cute little faces led to terms like “mug tups” for brown-marked Teeswater rams and "licorice lambs" for black and white-faced lambs.

The formation of the Teeswater Sheep Breeders' Association (TSBA) in 1949 marked a significant milestone in the breed's history, with the association making concerted effort to track and promote the breed. Aimed at improving and maintaining the breed's purity, the TSBA also promoted the Teeswater for crossbreeding with smaller hill sheep. Teeswater sheep and their half-bred offspring, Masham, gained widespread recognition across the UK and became quite popular in lowland flocks. Despite this, the popularity of Teeswater sheep was fleeting. By the 1970s the preferred meat sheep of the lowlands was the Bluefaced Leicester mule – a sheep that came from Bluefaced Leicester ram typically crossed with a Swaledale or Scottish Blackface ewe.

However, since joining the Rare Breeds Survival Trust in 1998, the Teeswater breed has sparked renewed interest from small flock owners in both the U.K. and abroad. Here in North America, the Teeswater Sheep Society of North America records Teeswaters being kept in at least 15 states. Despite import restrictions on livestock, the first ½ Teeswater lamb was born in the U.S. in 1998 using imported Teeswater semen. Since then, upbreeding and backcrossing has produced Teeswater sheep for the North American market. Despite these efforts, though, their numbers remain low, and The Livestock Conservancy has the current population of Teeswater sheep listed as Critical.

Do your part to encourage farmers to raise more Teeswater sheep! Their beautiful locks are perhaps a bit shorter than Wensleydale in their length, but the wool also has slightly more luster. Teeswater wool's staple length can range between 5-10 inches, with a remarkably consistent fiber width of 32-34 microns, putting it in the medium wool category. Teeswater locks can be used unspun, and are frequently used in projects such as felting, dollmaking, and millinery where decorative curls of hair are required. However, spinners, weavers, knitters, and crocheters will find that Teeswater yarn has fantastic drape and shine that can create truly unique pieces of clothing or housewares.

Teeswater wool can be a challenge to find, but we try to purchase it annually right after the sheep have been sheared. Once it is gone for the season, though, we are typically out until the following year. So, if you are interested, buy it while we have it! Come on into the shop to check out Teeswater wool along with all our other fibers, or shop online.