Why I Became A Shepherd

By Amanda Oldfield, Shepherd and founder of Wrought Iron and Brass Bed Co.

I never imagined I’d become a shepherd. I never imagined I’d be out in the field each morning, wellies wet with dew, watching over a flock of sheep who now know my voice. And yet, here I am—doing just that. Not because it was easy. Not because it made sense. But because I needed to understand.

For years, I’d heard the stories. British wool selling for pennies. Farmers struggling to cover the cost of shearing. Fleeces burned in frustration because it cost more to sell them than to discard them. It felt wrong. And it felt personal. As someone who has built a business around craft, quality, and heritage, I couldn’t turn a blind eye to the quiet decline of something so vital to our countryside. I wanted to see it for myself. To feel what our farmers feel. To walk, quite literally, in their muddy boots.

So I became a shepherd.

At first, the decision was simple and instinctive. I brought sheep onto our land as companions for my horse. Horses are herd animals, and sheep offer calm, comforting company. But it didn’t take long for those sheep to become more than pasture mates—they became partners in caring for the land. Gentle and grounded, they move through our fields like caretakers, grazing in patterns that preserve the natural balance of the soil. Their presence is quiet, but their impact is profound.

Still, the moment of truth came with the wool.

I remember the first shearing. The feel of the fleece, still warm and alive with the scent of pasture. The pride in seeing something so natural, so honest, come from animals I care for so deeply. And then—the reality. That fleece, lush and rich with possibility, was worth almost nothing on the market. Not nearly enough to cover the feed, the veterinary care, the time, or the love. Not even enough to cover the shearing itself.

It was sobering. And it lit a fire in me.

How did we come to this? How did something as historically vital as wool become so devalued? How did we build an industry where those who nurture the land and care for their flocks struggle just to break even?

The truth is, too many of our farmers face impossible odds—squeezed by red tape, exploited by middlemen, and silenced by a system that rewards scale over soul. And yet, they continue. They rise before dawn. They brave storms. They birth lambs in the snow. They love the land, even when the land doesn’t seem to love them back.

That’s why I became a shepherd. Because I couldn’t speak to these challenges from behind a desk. I had to live them. I had to earn the right to advocate for something better.

From this journey came the vision for our Traceable Wool Mattress Collection—a collection rooted not in trends, but in truth. Every mattress in the range is made using hand-teased British wool, sourced directly from farmers we know and trust. There are no middlemen, no delays, no empty promises. We pay above market rate, and we pay swiftly—because fairness shouldn’t be optional. It should be the starting point.

We hand-tease our wool because it honours the material. It allows the fibres to bloom naturally, creating a loft and softness that synthetic materials simply can’t replicate. The result is a mattress that breathes with you, supports you, and cradles you in something real. But even more than that, it carries a story—a story of the people, the flocks, and the fields it came from.

Our sheep, like the farmers we partner with, are not here to serve a system. They’re not raised for meat. They live peaceful lives grazing the land, companions not commodities. Their purpose is to maintain our pastures and bring life to a material that has served humankind for centuries. I often watch them move through the fields, quiet and deliberate, and I feel a deep sense of purpose. They remind me that doing the right thing rarely shouts. It simply is.

When we set out to create this collection, we weren’t interested in what the market said we should do. We weren’t trying to tick boxes or chase demand. We were trying to build something better—from the ground up. A product that reflects who we are, where we’ve come from, and where we believe the future of ethical craftsmanship must go.

Because wool isn’t just a material. It’s a relationship. Between the sheep and the land. Between the farmer and the flock. Between us, the makers, and you, the customer. When treated with respect, wool becomes more than filling—it becomes a thread that ties us to our past and weaves meaning into our everyday lives.

This journey has taught me more than I could have ever imagined. It’s taught me patience. It’s taught me resilience. And above all, it’s taught me that there’s power in standing up for the quiet things—the overlooked, the underpaid, the honest work done by humble hands.

So yes, I became a shepherd. And I will always be one. Because it’s not just about sheep. It’s about stewardship. Of the land, of our heritage, and of the values we hold dear.

From my flock to your home, thank you for walking this path with me. Thank you for choosing not just a mattress—but a movement. One rooted in care, in conscience, and in the quiet kind of courage that changes things for the better.