The Bluefaced Leicester (or BFL for short) is a British longwool sheep breed. Originally from the north-east of England it started to appear somewhere around 1880s-1900s.

It has been bred from the white-faced Border Leicester with some blue-coloured Wensleydale and Teeswater. BFL are strongly build with a long neck and ears and a very distinctive roman nose.

It’s the dark blue-ish skin that is visible through the short hair on their faces which gives them their name.Most BFL produce white wool, but some come in dark brown or black and sometimes even patterned. This is the wool which is not desirable for commercial dying and is used at Wedale Wool.

BFL wool is soft, has a beautiful luster and sheen and gives a drape which is superior to many other wool breeds. It is not as fine as Merino but it is still very soft and comfortable to wear against the skin. BFL is one of the most popular native UK breeds for hand spinning as it has a lovely staple length of up to six inches which makes it easy to spin.