A longwool outline preserved in an 1891 description
Knowledge for understanding and preserving Cotswold.
The Cotswold Sheep Society still uses W. S. Harmer’s 1891 description as its breed and show standard. Its detailed head description includes a woolly forehead tuft, a broad face and a dark nose. That familiar forelock belongs to a larger outline, not an isolated decorative feature.
The body description calls for a muscular neck, deep ribs, a level rump and straight legs. Thick, long, lustrous wool completes the animal’s characteristic appearance. The standard connects the substantial body with the fleece for which Cotswolds are recognized.
A historical standard also documents what breeders chose to preserve. It gives a concrete reference for the breed’s continuity while living animals remain subject to age, condition and management. The Cotswold’s longwool identity is strongest when the fleece and sound animal structure are understood together.
Sources behind this article
This is original Conservation Legacy teaching informed by the sources below. Follow the official material for the full account and its context.