Sheep shears

What is it?

Hey there young learners! I have a fascinating story to tell you about a local breed of sheep. Did you know that they are also nicknamed the Cotswold Lions? I know it sounds pretty cool, right? We're not sure how they got this nickname, but we do know that wool trade during the Middle Ages was very profitable for our towns. Towns like Burford became very wealthy because of it. In fact, Burford's beautiful church in the fifteenth century was built with donations from merchants and farmers who made a lot of money from the wool trade. Pretty incredible, isn't it? Oh, and have you ever seen these old sheep shears? They are probably from the eighteenth century and were made by a blacksmith. These shears are special because they are linked to famous breeders of Cotswold sheep - the Lane family. They were also connected by marriage to a man named William Garne of Aldsworth who kept the last old flock until he died in 1967. Luckily, some enthusiasts were able to save this rare breed from going extinct, and now it's thriving again. Last but not least, let me tell you about a certain William Radway. In 1786, he personalized his leather case holding two pairs of shears with his name, and we have it in the museum. The way he wrote his name on the case is so neat and remarkable! Unfortunately, we don't know where he lived, but we do know that there are Radways in Cirencester. These are just some of the stories about our local sheep and their impact on our history. Pretty interesting, right?