The Wensleydale wool is a luxurious fibre, the most lustrous and finest longwool in the world. It contains no kemp, which are the coarse, itchy fibres found in other types of wool. This means that it can be worn against the skin. It is an exceptionally rare breed and is on the ‘endangered’ list, with only around 1800 breeding ewes in the world. Wensleydales are large and majestic and they are placid and thoughtful by nature. They produce a long curly fleece which in the first year grows to the floor. Somewhere along the way they fell out of favour, in part due to the small size of the modern oven and also with the introduction of man-made fibres. The breed became forgotten and a new interest in wool was responded to by the import of the Australian merino which is mainly what is used today.