ADAM’S ANIMALS

Farmer and Countryfile presenter Adam Henson welcomes the return of woolly pigs, in the form of the Hungarian Mangalitza

The strange tale of woolly pigs – and why they are back in fashion.

The world is full of passionate collectors, specialists and enthusiasts, people who are relied upon to save the day when the need arises. Gloucestershire’s Jim Wilkie is one of them. His love is old agricultural films and promotional footage of farm machinery dating back as far as the 1920s and 30s. For most people, these things are obsolete, but not for Jim, who has spent decades rescuing unwanted reels of 16mm film from dustbins and skips for posterity.

Among the cinematic gems that Jim has salvaged is something pretty special. He’s discovered what’s thought to be the last footage ever taken of the Lincolnshire Curly Coat pig.

PIG OF THE PAST

This curious animal was a weird and wondrous breed that had all the qualities of a pig but looked just like a sheep. It was a big, hardy beast that could cope quite happily with long, harsh winters thanks to its covering of thick, curly hair. There are very few people alive today who can remember seeing one in the flesh. But thanks to Jim, a fleeting shot of a Curly Coat being prepared for judging at the 1947 Royal Agricultural Show in Lincoln survives intact.

The breed has a sad place in the history of British farming. Its numbers dwindled after the Second World War as we got a taste for leaner meat and Britain moved to more intensive and economical food production. By the 1960s, just a couple of breeding sows were left and, in 1972, the last Curly Coats went to the abattoir. A year later, the Rare Breeds Survival Trust was created to make sure that the fate of this special pig was never repeated.

HUNGARY FOR MORE

Now, almost 50 years after they disappeared, woolly pigs are appearing on British farms once again. The 21stcentury version of Lincolnshire’s infamous porker is an old breed of Hungarian pig called the Mangalitza. Its heritage dates back thousands of years and it shares all the characteristics of the Curly Coat. So it comes as no surprise to learn that, way back, Hungarian breeders imported pigs from Lincolnshire to cross with their own herds. They even nicknamed the off-spring Lincolistas.

The story has come full circle, with Hungarian Mangalitzas brought to the UK for the first time in 2006, and numbers here are steadily rising. I came nose to snout with a herd of them when I visited Phil Beal on his farm at North Chailey in Sussex. Phil breeds Mangalitzas because they produce a rich, creamy meat that’s high in fat and perfect for salami and cured hams. It’s quite an operation, with all the meat reared, processed, cured, smoked, dried and packed on the farm. Phil insists that the breed produces the best-tasting pork in the world and, after sampling some myself, I think he’s right. The dear old Lincolnshire Curly Coat may have been consigned to the history books but, thanks to a growing band of fellow breeders, the woolly pig is far from dead. Ask Adam: What topic would you like to know more about? Email your suggestions to editor@countryfile.com