It’s not kings, castles, or knights in shining armour that built England’s medieval wealth. It was sheep. Thousands upon thousands of them. Their wool, soft and deceptively humble, was once described as “England’s Gold,” and for good reason.

From the 12th century onwards, English monasteries and landowners turned rolling fields into vast sheep pastures. The fleeces were highly sought after in Flanders and northern Italy, where master weavers spun them into fine cloth. At one point, English wool was considered the finest in Europe, and demand never faltered.

The Crown quickly realised the value. Export taxes on raw wool, known as customs, became a royal cash cow, financing everything from extravagant courts to military campaigns. In the 14th century, Edward III tightened the trade under the staple system, directing exports through select towns such as Calais to ensure maximum control and maximum revenue.

It wasn’t just the monarchy that prospered. Merchants and landowners grew wealthy, funding grand estates and building the foundations of England’s mercantile class. In time, the country shifted from selling raw wool to exporting finished cloth, multiplying the profits and planting the seeds of England’s own textile industry.

To this day, in the House of Lords, the seat of the Lord Speaker rests upon a large sack of wool, a symbolic reminder that sheep, not swords, once underpinned the nation’s fortunes.

So next time you see a flock grazing on a hillside, remember: without sheep, medieval England might never have found the wealth that carried it onto the world stage.

Copyright © Tom Kane September 2025

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