Sheepfolds in other countries

• Flower shaped sheepfolds, like this one in Cwm Dulyn, have only been formally recorded in four areas of the world, Wales, Iceland, Switzerland and Croatia. Two other countries, South Africa and Jordan, have similar structures which appear to be worthy of further research (with thanks to John Rowlands).

Pictures of 2 Icelandic sheepfolds, known as rettir. Most of these are circular and shaped like a wheel. They are used in the same way as the large Welsh communal sheepfolds, with each farm having its own section of the wheel. The greater the number of farms sharing the sheepfold, the greater the number of spokes in the wheel. Many of the older ones were built of stone and those that are still used have been well maintained as the pictures show. The sheepfolds that have been built more recently look to be made of concrete blocks and steel.

Pictures courtesy of Professor Dr Borut Juvanec, of The Institute of Vernacular Architecture, Slovenia

Pictures of stone sheepfolds found on the Kvarner islands Krk, Cres and Prvic, off the coast of Croatia. These are no longer used but are strikingly similar to the Welsh sheepfolds. On mainland Croatia, the sheep herdsmen were nomadic and there was no requirement for sheepfolds, but on the islands, flocks of sheep were left by villagers to intermingle on common land without the presence of shepherds, hence the need to build the communal sheepfolds. These allowed the farmers to reclaim their own sheep such as at shearing time.

Pictures and information courtesy of Professor Dr Borut Juvanec, of The Institute of Vernacular Architecture, Slovenia

These pictures are of multicellular sheepfolds on the islands of Cres and Lošinj, off the coast of Croatia. They are part of a report co-authored by Tanya Kremenic, who kindly provided the pictures. The report can be accessed here