Lambing chairs are box shaped armchairs, traditionally from Lancashire and the Yorkshire Dales, and peculiar to this region. They were usually made of oak, without any upholstery, and took pride of place at the hearth in a shepherd’s household. They typically have very individual designs, suggesting they would have been made by cabinet makers or carpenters to individual order, rather than working in the tradition of the turner who made many many of the country chairs of that time.

They are often called “lambing” chairs, suggesting they would have been used by the shepherds sitting up during the night in the lambing season. Whether this is true or not, they have a very distinctive style and are very collectible.