Meat
Shropshire
C tier
Shropshire Down is a dark-faced English breed once among the most exported British sheep, combining Southdown quality with greater size for nineteenth-century farm flocks. A dense face covering and medium frame characterise traditional type; modern selections aim for open faces and commercial growth. Shropshire lamb finishes with a soft, flavoursome fat and tender lean—historically praised for butcher’s joints and smallholder meat boxes. Numbers fell with the rise of larger terminals, so pure Shropshire is now a specialty and conservation product with loyal regional following.
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History
Breeders in Shropshire fixed a dark-faced down type from local and Southdown-influenced stock.
The Shropshire Sheep Breeders’ Association and flock book professionalised pedigree breeding.
Massive export demand made Shropshires a leading American farm flock breed.
Population decline prompted rare-breed support while niche meat markets persisted.