Huddersfield Textile Manufacturing
24/09/2024
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Much of the material that clothed the in England from Roman times until the 18th century was made from wool. A large proportion of this was manufactured in the West Riding especially between the 16th – 18th century. The product ranged from baby clothes, undergarments, hats, dresses, coats & shawls to blankets. The cloth was woven then taken to the “fulling mills” to be washed and felted matt the fibres together which shrank the cloth and made it thicker.
Following the 18th century enclosure of common land by the surrounding estates into smaller farmsteads. The farms were often too small to live off, hence small holders turned to cloth making to supplement incomes. Some who were very successful gave up farming altogether to concentrate on production. The area surrounding our mill in Huddersfield is dotted with stone-built Weavers Cottages, “dual-economy” houses which had multiple windows to the upper weaving floors to allow the natural light into the work area and a ground-floor living space beneath usually with small windows that assisted warmth. These were built generally between the late 18th century until the 1840’s and are a fabulous legacy our area’s textile heritage. The cloth made was sold through weekly markets with Almondbury market (the bigger town in those days) then dating back to least 1294. Huddersfield then developed their own market in 1671. Huddersfield probably sealed its premier league textile status in 1766 when Sir John Ramsden in 1766 built a purpose-built Cloth Hall in Huddersfield to market the fabrics. From the late 1780’s technical developments of machines allowed a few manufacturing processes to be housed in smaller mills. Then by the late 1860’s massive integrated steam powered woollen mills were built with all stages of woollen process housed under one roof. The might of the Huddersfield area grew as did the renown of the town.
The site we still manufacture on today was producing yarns from the 1850’s and the company as it is today was established in 1896.
RWS Certification
06/06/2024
We are thrilled to announce that following a successful audit Brierley Brothers Limited t/a Gardiner Yarns are now certified to the “Responsible Wool Standard” (RWS), licence number CU CUC 1326440.
We have always responsibly sourced our wools from producers that follow internationally accepted husbandry guidelines conforming to the Five Freedoms of Animal Welfare and in addition all the wool that we process originates from a supply chain that does not practice mulesing. However, we have now taken this a step further with our new RWS wool certification which independently describes and certifies animal welfare standards and land management practices in wool fibre production, tracking the certified material right from the farm to the final product.
We are extremely proud to have achieved certification against this standard and we are committed to ensuring that our products continued to be produced in an ethical and environmentally friendly manner. This certification is in recognition of those efforts.
Sub-Marginal Land Use – Sheep Grazing
21/03/2024
The hilly regions and dales of the UK that we all enjoy visiting typically have grazing sheep breeds such as Cheviot, Dalesbred, Herdwick, Rough Fell, Swaledale, Scottish Blackface and Welsh Mountain. These breeds have adapted over the years to living in harsh conditions in the hills and are hardy and thick-coated. They are one of the few species that can utilise this type of land and provide us with an incredibly useful by-product of wonderful wool fibre for use in clothing, flooring, insulation and bedding. #wooliswarm
Arguably moorland grazing sheep have had an incredible positive impact on our environment and play a vital role in sustainable land management. They enhance soil health by helping to aerate it and stimulate the nutrient cycle by promoting healthier and more fertile land and naturally fertilise the soil.
By grazing on the moorland grass, sheep thwart the dominance of invasive plant species stimulating grass growth, encouraging a diverse range of flora to flourish that then attracts a more diverse wildlife, supporting a thriving, balanced and healthier ecosystem. Sheep are a natural weed controller, having a voracious appetite for weeds, grasses, gorse and branches, making them an eco-friendly alternative to chemical herbicides. The grass roots also help stabilise the soil therefore reducing soil erosion from run-off. The moorland grasslands absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere fixing it in the soil assisting in mitigating climate change by capturing and storing greenhouse gases.
We make a stock supported UK range of yarns from Herdwick wools and have commission spun several other breeds such as Swaledale, Cheviot, Dalesbred, Welsh Mountain as well as spinning some wool from the very cute looking Valias Blacknose from the Swiss Alps.
Why do we want wool?
05/09/2023
Recently, textiles have nearly all been made using earth’s resources and at the end of their life can take decades to degrade. With 60% of clothing now being made from synthetics, micro plastics produced from their breakdown are now known to cause damage to the environment, creating health issues. These are extremely slow to degrade, taking 20 to 500 years to decompose depending material structure and factors like sunlight exposure. A ticking eco-time bomb with so much being discarded in our oceans and onto land every day causing problems for our planet and future generations.
Can a garment be made from a material that naturally and quickly biodegrades at the end of its useful life? Yes, if it is made from Wool. So, what are some of the benefits of this fabulous fibre?
Sheep grow a new fleece annually making wool a renewable fibre source. Grazing on sub-marginal land fertilising it and improving soil structure they help plant and insect diversity.
Wool has been used since the Stone Age for clothing and insulation and as a fibre is one of the best textile thermal protectors available. Science is yet to produce a fibre which matches all the unique properties of wool.
Wool is high in water and nitrogen content, so is naturally flame-retardant with a greater ignition threshold than many fibres. It does not melt sticking to the skin causing burns, and it produces much less noxious fumes than synthetic fibres. It can provide this natural fire protection in a breathable, resilient, stretchable and flexible garment.
Wool absorbs moisture and constantly adapts to changes in temperature, so keeping the body’s temperature comfortable in both cold and warm weather. Wool filled duvets are excellent at controlling night-time body temperature, keeping warm when it is cold and cooler when it is warm.
Wool fibre is elastic and acts like a coiled spring in a garment giving wool its ability to both stretch and compress before bouncing back to its original shape, maintaining the appearance of the garment.
Wool fibre is diverse and it can be processed into many beautiful forms of cloth, such as woven, nonwoven, knitted, felted, or tufted product.
Wool is comfortable. even when worn against the skin. Many people still have the misconception that wool is itchy and uncomfortable.
Wool has a naturally high level of UV protection, which is much higher than most synthetics and cotton
Wool absorbs up to 25% of its own weight in moisture without feeling wet, a useful feature when next to the skin helping control body moisture, wicking it away from the skin. This moisture helps it be naturally anti-static and the waxy coating on wool fibres protects them, making wool products resistant to staining.
Wool is anti-microbial so does not promote the growth of bacteria, reducing body odours caused by stale sweat.
Wool worn at home helps keep you warm, so turn down the central heating, help reduce energy consumption costs and carbon emissions into the planet too.
Wool at the end of its useful life, will quickly decompose, releasing nutrients back into the ground in a very short time.
#wooliswarm #woolisnatural #wooltheplanetsaver #buywool #fabulousfibre #sustainablefibre
Schlafhorst Autoconer Winding Machines
23/05/2023
We have recently installed as part of our expansion program, two new Schlafhorst Autoconer winding machines.
With 32 spindles these machines increase our production capacity, flexibility and capability. With thermal splicing and electronic clearing, we are now automatically winding 6” and 10” cone.
For any yarn enquiries, please email us via the link on our Contacts Page
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