Our woolly WONDERS

Find out how the nation’s sheep have shaped our regional knitwear

-  MICHELLE ROWLEY

The Channel Islands

Guernsey and Jersey have been associated with quality knitting since Tudor times. Mary, Queen of Scots is believed to have worn a pair of white Guernsey stockings for her execution in 1587. On receiving a fine pair of Jersey stockings from Sir Walter Raleigh, Queen Elizabeth I granted a licence to the islanders to trade freely in knitted woollen goods.

Today we associate the term ’jersey’ with the knitted fabric that takes its name from the island, but jersey was originally a wool. While the multi-horned Jersey sheep died out long ago, its closest living relative, the Isle of Man’s Manx Loaghtan, was introduced to the island in 2009. And the fisherman’s guernsey (often called a gansey) is a garment widely worn in fishing communities all around the UK – although there’s

Think of our beautiful countryside and you’ll probably picture sheep dotted among rolling green hills. Across our valleys, hills, plains and mountains, Britain is home to more than 33 million sheep, because while our landscapes are undeniably beautiful, the weather often leaves much to be desired. So as far back as the Stone Age, these islands’ inhabitants were wearing sheep fleece to keep warm. And in the past few centuries, immigration and industry have further shaped our knitted heritage, leading to different areas of Britain producing their own distinctive knitwear.