ONE for the master, one for the dame and one for the little boy who lives down the lane…’ We were once so collectively smitten with wool that songs—or, at least, nursery rhymes—were composed about bags simply full of the stuff. Fire- and stain-resistant, hard-wearing, sustainable, hypoallergenic, wonderfully soft and fluffy, this natural fibre is brimming with benefits that manmade counterparts struggle to replicate.
George Mallory and his confrères tackled mountains in woollen plus fours; children of the 1950s wore Chilprufe wool vests and jumpers knitted by Granny. Today, climbers wear Gore-Tex and we have all got used to the ease and low cost (to us) of clothing in manmade fibres. Much of the wool clip from the nation’s sheep is shipped off to China to be made into carpets and barely covers the cost of shearing. Native breeds have given way to sheep that grow fast and produce the standard carcass required by supermarkets. If this sounds like a threnody for the loss of old ways, there is an alternative universe in which wool is supreme; a world you may not know existed—I didn’t—until you find yourself somehow wandering through the right portal.
Held in three vast halls at the Royal Welsh Showground, Wonderwool is an annual event (6,000 visitors last year) showcasing native British wool in every conceivable form— from the sheep’s back (some exhibitors bring their sheep with them) to bundles of unspun fleece via natural yarns and balls of plant-dyed colour ready to knit; there are handmade shawls, Fair Isle jumpers, rugs and soft felted toys. There are carders, drop spindles, peg looms and all manner of arcanery devoted to the creation of woollen artefacts.
Denne historien er fra April 19, 2023-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra April 19, 2023-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
