Ewe know it makes sense

CraigL

Money for old rope - well, yarn - is what Bedfordshire County Council want to turn into a reality with a new project using wool from a flock of sheep at a local nature reserve.

The 'Nude Ewe' project is being undertaken as a partnership between the county council and the Wildlife Trust. Any money raised by the sale of the wool is to be ploughed back into the Trust's funds.

Grazing projects like Nude Ewe are important to ensure more grassy fields and hills do not become covered in scrub. Hebridean sheep, a small and ancient heritage breed, graze on scrub and are therefore essential for keeping many other plant species alive on grassy habitats. As heritage breeds, their wool is exempt from regulations that their fleeces should be sent to the British Wool Marketing Board, acting on behalf of sheep farmers to get the best price for the wool.

The yarn from the sheep at Pegsdon Hills Nature Reserve in Pegdson, Barton-le-Clay, is a dark chocolate brown colour with a few white hairs in it. It is not dyed as its natural colour is one of its unique and unusual features. Other local flocks include Hebridean, Manx Loghtan and Shetland sheep. The sheep's wool can be used to make attractive jumpers, hats and mittens.

County Councillor Bob King, Cabinet Member for Customer Services said: "This is a great project for Bedfordshire. The fleece from these sheep was previously unused . We are hoping that the sale of the yarn spun will at least go towards helping local farmers to address the costs of shearing the sheep. I will be monitoring the progress of the project and hope to see a good result when the website is launched."

Sales of the yarn will be available through the Wildlife Trust's Bedford Office at Priory Park (Telephone: 01234 364213) and through the Nude Ewe project website www.bedslife.org.uk/nude-ewe or by phoning Heather Webb(01234 228063) or Laura Downton, Grazing Sites Officer (01234 362776).

Payment will go directly to the Wildlife Trust since the wool was spun from their flock. The long term vision is to open the scheme up to other graziers, who will get back proceeds in proportion to the amount of fleece they submitted for spinning.