Blanket coverage

It was great to hear that plans have been submitted to turn Witney’s Grade II* listed Blanket Hall into a museum to showcase the town’s almost forgotten blanket-making heritage

Richard Martin, managing director of Cotswolds Woollen Weavers at Filkins, is leading the project. He said: “We want to explain what blankets meant to Witney. This is the first time members of the public would be able to come back into Blanket Hall for almost 40 years. The museum will give visitors the chance to reproduce some of the blankets that were made in Witney, such as the ones used by every sailor in Nelson’s Navy and blankets used by cowboys.”

The Blanket Hall, in High Street, was built in 1721. It was once the meeting place of the local weavers’ guild and, in the past saw many lively gatherings. A restored Blanket Hall could perhaps act as a hub for local spinners and weavers - and provide a home for the last remaining handloom used at Early’s, currently at the nearby Cogges Farm Museum.

In its heyday, Charles Early’s Witney blanket industry employed more than 3,000 people, and its blankets were recognised as the finest in England. The establishment of an overseas trade in the 18th century was a further boost to the industry, especially when the Hudson’s Bay Trading Company in North America began placing regular orders.

The Early family in Witney dates back to the late 17th century and there were several branches of the family running different businesses in and around the town, often as serious rivals. Charles Early rationalised these various operations, and by the end of the 19th century he had amalgamated all the Early firms into a single business.

Charle Early’s main rival was William Smith & Co, whose founder had, ironically, learned his skills from Edward Early in the 1820s. Smith was an orphan who was born in Witney and raised by his grandfather, Henry, a master tucker in the blanket industry.

The young William’s first job (he started work aged just eight) was as a bobbin winder, but it was not long before his potential was spotted by Edward Early, who offered him a job as an errand boy for the princely sum of four shillings a week. Before long he was in charge of the weighing and packaging of blankets.

Over the next few years Smith experimented in other trades, running first a mop-making business and then a brewery. Both businesses were successful, but by the 1850s he had sold off his assets from the brewery and returned to the blanket trade.

His firm was based at Bridge Street Mill, and was the first to use the steam engine in the manufacture of blankets. His business was particularly prosperous during the late 19th century, when he had regular orders from the Government to supply mops and blankets to the Royal Navy.

The 20th century saw the beginning of the blanket industry’s long decline, hastened to an untimely end by the growing popularity of the duvet, increased use of central heating and the closure of the railway in Witney in 1970. William Smith & Son underwent several mergers and takeovers from the 1920s onwards, but closed in 1975.

After the hall closed, it was used as a brewery, an office of birth, marriages and death and a mineral water business. It was converted into a house in 1976 and was the home of Brian Crawford, former managing director of Witney blanket makers Early’s, until his death in August 2011. In his will, Mr Crawford said he wanted to see Blanket Hall reconnected with the blanket industry.

After Mr Crawford’s death, the house was given to the Bartlett Taylor Trust, based in Church Green, Witney. The trust hopes to lease the hall to a new company called the Witney Blanket Hall Company, headed by Mr Martin. If planning permission is granted, it is hoped the museum will open next Easter.

A restored Blanket Hall may not bring a return to the wonderful sight of Witney blankets hanging on drying frames alongside the Windrush (pictured above) — but it would be fantastic to see spinning and weaving, an industry that shaped the local economy for hundreds of years return to this bustling Oxfordshire market town.

In the meantime, you could enjoy a ramble around the town’s Wool and Blanket trail, which takes in buildings associated with the wool business, including the Blanket Hall. Pick up a leaflet from the Visitor Information Centre in Welch Way, call 01993 775802 or e-mail witney.vic@westoxon.gov.uk

Market forces

In the words of Hannibal Smith in the A Team, “I love it when a plan comes together!” My plan was to turn the fleeces of my Ryeland sheep into useful items and take them to market. And it all came together at Wolvercote Farmers’ Market last weekend.

And I am delighted to say that the throws and scarves made for me from my wool by Curlew Weavers in Wales got a good reception from Sunday morning shoppers who frequent Oxford’s longest-running farmers’ market.

My ‘stock’ for the year arrived last week – and I was delighted by the quality of finish and design. I was also surprised by the sheer amount of product I got back. There are three sizes of throw, scarves and cushion covers in three designs.

We sent our bags full of rather scruffy fleeces off to Wales to be processed back in May, and they have been transformed into - even though I say so myself - beautiful and useful items. It was fantastic to know that all these items had come from our own flock, a result of good breeding and quite a bit of hard work.

It was also great to get my message about wool and why the heritage of this wonderful resource should be celebrated out to people who are genuinely interested in the subject. I also met some readers of this column – it is always great to know that your words are reaching people and not simply falling on deaf ears!

Farmers’ Markets like the one held at Wolvercote Primary School, First Turn, off Woodstock Road, every Sunday, are the lifeblood of small producers and craftspeople, allowing them to reach an audience which would otherwise be out of reach.

Since Wolvercote’s market began more than ten years ago in 2002 other farmers’ markets have grown up in and around the city in its wake. Unlike some markets who have paid staff, Wolvercote’s market is run as a not-for-a-profit organisation run by a group of volunteers who do everything from organising publicity to putting up gazebos on market day.

All the farm produce on sale is produced locally – in fact the majority of suppliers come from within a ten mile radius of Wolvercote and a few from the village itself. One of my favourite stalls is set up by the Natural Bread Company. But perhaps the most important thing is that produce is sold directly by the producers themselves. There are no middle-men, so you often get better value than you would at the supermarket. It is a bit of a myth that farmers’ markets are more expensive than regular shops. And you can talk to people about the products they grow or make.

There is also a great little café so you can enjoy breakfast after doing your weekly shop. There is a special festive market at Wolvercote this Sunday- the last chance to get some really local gifts and stocking-fillers. I look forward to seeing you there!

Find out more about Wolvercote Farmers’ Market at www.wolvercotefarmersmarket.co.uk

Woolly thinking

I am in the process of working out what to do with the wool from my flock which has been carefully processed and made into weaving yarn by Curlew Weavers in Wales.

I have to decide between blankets, throws, scarves and maybe cushions. Scarves are a must as they sell well at our local farmers’ market – and people have been asking me about large throws, big enough to cover a sofa or top-to-toe a bed. I am not so sure about about cushions, but they do seem to becoming a popular among interior designers again.

It is an exciting time and, together with our weaver Roger Poulson, we hope to work out a design which says something about the provenance of the wool, which is one of the main reasons I keep sheep. After all, wool is one of the most sustainable natural materials you can get. Each year, sheep produce a new fleece, making wool a renewable source of fibre.

We don’t dye our wool . Our throws and scarves are all designed using the natural colours of the fleeces. Fortunately, Ryeland sheep come in white and coloured fleeces. I am looking forward to welcoming a couple of new coloured ewes this autumn to add to the variety of fleeces we can use.

During October’s Wool Week, people were encouraged to pick up its knitting needles and celebrate all things wool. Knitting parties are being planned for cafés, schools and even beaches as part of the event.

Oxford has some fine haberdashery and wool shops, such as Darn It and Stitch in Blue Boar Street, off  St Aldates, and The Oxford Yarn Store in North Parade, which runs a regular series of courses for beginners and more skilled knitters.

The organisation behind the event, The Campaign for Wool, is inviting people to host their own knitting party for family and friends. To help you cast off in style the campaign is offering invitations and a free knitting pattern for a blanket and matching cushions on its website.

Wool Week celebrations ended with a special appearance by a flock of Merino sheep in the courtyard of the Royal Academy of Arts in London (pictured).

For more information about Wool Week and to download a free knitting pattern, visit the website: www.campaignforwool.org