8-foot sheep big enough to make 50 fleece jumpers

By Nathan Pynn

One of the UK’s largest sheep fleeces has been sheared, measuring 8ft in length - and big enough to make 50 jumpers.

Sheep shearer Carl Sutton was stunned when he clipped the 64 sq ft (5.95m) fleece off Lincoln Longwool Lottie - nicknamed the "Woolly Lambmoth."

The raw wool tipped the scales at 7.4kg (1.2st) - one of the largest produced by a sheep in the UK.

The three-year-old heritage breed certainly felt a weight off her shoulders following her mammoth haircut.

The fleece - which Carl sheared in one single 8ft (2.4m) x 8ft (2.4m) piece - was so big three people could comfortably lie down on it.

Carl, 30, said: “I shear the sheep once a year but I’ve never seen anything like this.

“The fleece just kept coming and coming. It’s big enough to make 50 jumpers at least.”

Lottie was clipped last week at her home on Black Barn Therapy Farm at Old Bolingbroke, Lincs.

Proud owner Angie Beale said: “We’ve had Lottie from a lamb and her mother produced huge fleeces.

“She’s a working sheep and her fleece will go to excellent use. The fleece is so big it takes three of us to lift it.”

The Lincoln Longwool is the largest breed of native sheep in the UK with rams weighing up to 24st (150kg).

A mature ram can weigh in the region of 19-24 stone (120-150kg).

Carl added: "They've got wool right from the tip of their nose right down to the tails and everywhere else.

"You tend to get a massive fleece but Lottie’s is definitely the biggest fleece we've had. It was absolutely huge.

“When we sheared it, it was a really hot day, and we just couldn't believe it as it was coming off all around us.

“Lottie was mightily relieved afterwards.”