We are happy to share with you an exciting new development in Welsh wool. Once the lifeblood of the Welsh economy, Welsh wool supply chains became fragmented from around the 1980’s, as much fibre and yarn production was increasingly sourced overseas. With consumers seeking a wider choice for their garments and home textiles, the demand for Welsh-grown wool began to decline.

In 2021, motivated by the ever-decreasing value of Welsh wool fibre, the social enterprise Menter Môn initiated the Gwnaed Â Gwlan/Made with Wool project, bringing together stakeholders from across Wales with the aim of reversing this trend. Funded through the Rural Development Plan*, the project’s objective was to revitalise the Welsh woollen industry, realising the fibre’s potential as a renewable, and therefore more sustainable resource.

A multi-stranded project, Made with Wool sought to find innovative ways to utilise Welsh wool, sparking a series of scoping studies spanning many sectors, including re-establishing a commercial supply chain for Welsh-grown wool, suitable for modern textiles. As the typical amount of fibre needed for commercial production of yarn is at least 2 tonnes per batch, this requires combined sourcing from several Welsh farms. A new traceability scheme developed by British Wool to enable this supply chain ensures that every farmer who supplies fleece into the blend will receive a financial premium on every fleece purchased. This supports farmers in producing quality fleeces, gaining the value of these through sale.

A pilot project was created in 2023, set up with the aim of finding a yarn quality that could meet the needs of weavers, spinners, designers and craftspeople, to create a new supply chain for locally sourced wool. To bring this idea to life, experts in our sector came together to share their knowledge, all coordinated by Menter Môn. As commercial-level yarn spinning infrastructure is currently unavailable in Wales, the majority of processing was conducted across the UK. A yarn expert advised on the ideal blend of fibre types to create the desired yarn. British Wool facilitated the sourcing of the correct wool grades from Welsh farms and supported the processing from warehouse to scouring. Lightowlers Yarns Ltd. in Yorkshire advised on yarn colour development and ran the commercial spinning trial. Completing the process, Melin Tregwynt designed the fabrics and ran the weaving trials.

This pilot could not have happened without input from all the stakeholders involved from the beginning of the project. At Melin Tregwynt, we were keen to get involved and offer our support, as the Welsh woollen industry and weaving in Wales is the root of our rural business. The project was designed to protect the rural economy, to enable increased use of Welsh wool in locally manufactured textiles, and to support and sustain rural skills, communities, and jobs, which as an EOT is close to our heart.

The weaving trials were completed in 2024 and the result is our new limited-edition Welsh wool collection, featuring three traditional Melin Tregwynt designs in coordinating colourways. Launching just in time for St. Davids Day.

*Funded from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government

See our full collection here

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