Ewe-nique collaboration keeps Yorkshire businesses at forefront of textile manufacturing
A quintet of Yorkshire businesses are at the forefront of the UK’s textile manufacturing boom thanks to their collaboration with a Kent-based farm.
Romney Marsh Wools is sending fleeces from its flock of 1000 ewes to Yorkshire’s famous textile mills to be turned into throws, cushions, caps and even toiletries.
The fleeces are processed and woven using traditional methods in West Yorkshire to create the product range.
Romney Marsh Wools also has a selection of toiletries made in Bradford using Lanolin from the fleeces. The wider range includes hand-made flat caps produced in Castleford by Lawrence and Foster.
The firm’s growth mirrors that seen in the UK textiles industry, which has reported a 25% increase in production in the past year.
Kristina Boulden, director of Romney Marsh Wools said: “Wool is one of the few materials which is natural, renewable, sustainable and versatile. It has been our greatest pleasure to see the interest in British wool grow throughout our 10 years in business.
“We marked our 10 year milestone and the expansion of our Yorkshire connection by hiring a Northern representative who has already taken the brand to new stockists across the region.”
She added: “We’ve had a long-standing association with Yorkshire and it seemed only fitting we develop our brand by showcasing the region’s skills which have been at the forefront of industry across centuries. Our range represents a growing collaboration between two of the UK’s largest counties and are truly born in Kent – made in Yorkshire.”
The Yorkshire connection sees the raw wool fleeces traditionally cleaned by Haworth Scouring before being sent to Lightowlers Spinning Yarns in Meltham, Huddersfield. The wool is then sent a few miles over the hill to Townend Weaving in Slaithwaite.
