Once you've crossed over the Severn Bridge into Wales, you'll notice that the landscape is changing as you drive west. The terrain is hillier, everywhere is greener and the patchwork hillsides are covered with little toytown sheep. The further west you go, the more sheep you'll see. You may even end up surrounded by them as a farmer moves his flock from one patch of grazing to another. Be warned, sheep from a distance look cute and woolly, but very close up in large numbers they're a bit scary and smell strongly of lanolin.
Native Breeds of Welsh Sheep
You might think that one sheep is pretty much like another, but think again. In your travels around Wales, you're sure to see a variety of native breeds, as well as a few exotic imports. The Badger Faced Welsh Sheep, the Balwen Welsh Mountain Sheep, the Beulah and the South Wales Mountain Sheep are all to be seen roaming the mountainsides – Wales has the highest density of sheep in the world after New Zealand.
Unsurprisingly, the Welsh make full use of the economic potential of their sheep. Welsh lamb is likely to figure prominently on restaurant menus, and Welsh wool is celebrated in tourist haunts and craft shops all over the country.
Melin Tregwynt: Great Welsh Success Story
Situated in the Pembrokeshire National Park (just off the A487 Fishguard to St. David's road) is the wonderful Melin Tregwynt, an old Welsh woollen mill which has re-invented itself and embraced the opportunities offered by the twenty first century.
It is rare amongst Welsh companies in that it exports about a third of its product, is wholly committed to a design-led philosophy, and uses craft and design consultants on a regular basis to keep its product fresh and contemporary.
The Melin Tregwynt designers have taken a great imaginative leap in re-interpreting traditional Welsh designs and bringing them up to date with modern taste. Their luscious Smarties and Dolly Mixture spotty designs are a delight to the eye, but they also use a more sophisticated colour palette so that they can cater for every interior design and fashion taste. Who would have thought that those raggledy-taggledy mountain sheep could be the source of such rainbow fabrics and textures?
Welsh Wool Museum, Drefach, Felindre
If you've visited West Wales with half a mind to trace the story of wool, you must visit the National Museum of Wales's Wool Museum at Drefach, Felindre in Carmarthenshire.
This museum (located in yet another old Welsh Mill) traces the story of wool, from pasture to department store and boutique, with a combination of historical artefacts and witty contemporary displays.
The heavy machinery which uses teazles for carding the raw wool is a wonderful example of where ancient and modern technologies overlapped as textile manufacturing developed. There's also an impressive display of spinning wheels and a traditional coracle (small, ancient Welsh boat) to be seen. Coracles are more usually associated with salmon fishing on Welsh rivers but were ideal for transporting fleeces from shearing shed to mill. The lambing chair (pictured) was designed with uneven legs on purpose. If the farmer or farm hand in the lambing shed fell asleep, he would stop bracing the chair with his legs and would tumble over onto the ground as the chair fell over – one way of ensuring the lambing attendant stayed awake and produced a successful outcome for ewes, lambs and farmer alike.
If you're thinking of visiting Wales, bear in mind that It's true there's more to Wales than rugby, male voice choirs and sheep, but even those three components can make up a fascinating holiday itinerary!
