The Industrial Revolution was in the early 1800s, right around the time that the Cotswold began to loose favor in the sheep market. What was one of the chief industries of the early industrial revolution? Textiles. What is the maximum staple length that modern mill machines can spin? 11″. What is the ideal length for a year of Cotswold wool growth? 10-12″. Old pictures of Cotswolds even show a couple years of growth on an animal, although this could be exaggeration for show rather than standard practice.

Could it be that the wool while highly valued during the hand spinning era saw a sudden drop-off in demand when fiber began to be processed through machines? What was the maximum staple length those older machines could handle? Could a better wool mill save the breed through increased demand?