Ewe won't believe it: 8ft fleece sheared from sheep

Harry Parkillin Old Bolingbroke
BBC Sheep shearer Carl Sutton lies on the wool, alongside Lynn Kirk (left) and Angie Beale from the Black Barn Therapy Farm. The three of them are laying down on the fleece.  It is easily taller than all three and much wider.BBC
Sheep shearer Carl Sutton lies on the wool, alongside Lynn Kirk (left) and Angie Beale from the Black Barn Therapy Farm

A sheep shearer said the coat he clipped off a sheep on a farm near Spilsby is the biggest he's ever seen.

The fleece measures roughly 8ft by 8ft (2.4m x 2.4m) and three people can lie across it comfortably, according to Carl Sutton, who works as a sheap shearer across Lincolnshire.

The wool comes from a Lincoln Longwool breed of sheep, a large herritage breed.

Sutton, who clipped it last week, said the sheep "definitely felt better after it".

A sheep looks directly at the camera. Its coat is short and it is standing in a field.
Carl Sutton says the sheep "definitely felt better" after being sheared

Angie Beale, from the Black Barn Therapy Farm at Old Bolingbroke keeps some of the breed as therapy sheep.

"They just bring a smile to your face," she said.

A mature ram can weigh in the region of 19-24 stone (120-150kg).

According to The Lincoln Longwool Sheep Breeders' Association, the breed is our largest native sheep.

The sheep were bred primarily for their wool, but have declined in numbers.

Sutton said: "They've got wool right from the nose to the tails and everywhere else.

"So, you get a massive fleece. They are big sheep, but that's the biggest fleece we've had."

Angie, Carl and Lynn stand behind the fleece which is stretched out over the grass.
Carl Sutton said the fleece measured roughly 8ft by 8ft

Beale said: "It was absolutely huge.

"It was a really hot day, and we just couldn't believe it as it was coming off.

"She's such a weight for him to hold anyway, but he did a fantastic job getting it all off in one piece for us."

Sutton said: "We had a nice breeze blowing through, and we got it all off like you do in one.

"It definitely felt better after it."

Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North.

Download the BBC News app from the App Store for iPhone and iPad or Google Play for Android devices