The breed belonging to the Down group of breeds was originally developed by crossing the Southdowns with the Wiltshire Horn and the now extinct Berkshire Knot in the 19th century, in the southern part of England and the shire county of Hampshire. Later on it was improved by using Cotswold and large-sized Southdown rams. This mutton breed is a seasonal breeder with good grazing behaviour. The weight gain of lambs is high, their mutton becomes fatty late (showing a desirable proportion of fat and lean). Their prolificacy ranges from 1.5 to 1.8. The breed is characterized by easy lambing. Their lamb rearing ability is excellent. Mature weights for ewes range from 70 to 90 kg, and ram weights vary from 110 to 140 kg.