A hardy breed of sheep native to the mountains of northern England, or the enclosed land where such sheep graze.
From Old English heord (herd) and wic (a dwelling, village, or piece of land). The term refers both to the famous Herdwick sheep breed of the Lake District and the fell farms where they're raised. The name reflects the land's association with sheep herding.
Herdwick sheep are so perfectly adapted to harsh mountain terrain that local farmers say you can't replace them with other breeds—they somehow 'know' which land belongs to their flock and stay on it even without fences, a phenomenon called 'hefting.'
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