It may have caught your attention that farmers are having a hard time at the moment. Hill farmers in particular follow a tradition of scraping a living from a challenging landscape, and the recent changes to the payments system has made this even harder.
Herdwick sheep are virtually wild, living out on the mountains in all weather conditions. This means they’ve evolved to grow coarse wiry coats to protect them from the elements. The wiriness gives it the ideal properties for our Chimney Sheep. However, when I’m collecting the wool from the farmers, and see all the gorgeous natural hues of the wool from cream to light grey, dark grey, chocolate brown and black, it seems a shame to stuff it up a chimney really. That’s how I came to have the rugs developed, to showcase the Herdwick wool. The other reason is that I always try to purchase as much wool as I can. By buying ethically sourced wool directly from the farms we can pay more than the farmers would otherwise get if the wool went through the usual sequence of merchants and handlers. Some years I end up with a lot more Herdwick wool than I need for the chimney draught excluders, so we make it into other products. Like these very lovely rugs.
There are a lot of conversations about how to create products out of wool, and how to persuade more people to buy wool products. Often these discussions refer to wool as a waste product, and talk about the circular economy so wool is referred to in the same way as waste plastic for example. While we also use waste wool, such as in our garden products, I want to sell products that celebrate the benefits of natural wool and add value to it. The higher value of the end product goes back into the rural economy. We achieve this by paying a better rate for the wool. Plus some of these farms sell the end products, thereby maximizing their profit from the wool. These rugs are a perfect way of achieving that. A couple of the farms that sell our Herdwick products (insoles and things as well) are Low Sizergh Farm Shop and Yew Tree Farm in Coniston.
What are the benefits of Herdwick wool in rugs?
Each sustainable wool rug tells a story. There are several sheep’s worth of fleece in each rug. Our smallest rug contains the wool from three sheep and our extra large enormous wool rug contains the wool from 15 sheep! They have Texel wool blended in to give it the right properties for weaving and to make them softer underfoot. The Herdwick-and-Texel wool rugs are perfect for adding a rustic touch to your home while providing insulating warmth underfoot. They are very thick and durable wool rugs. Plus, did you know that wool has superpowers? It has natural dirt resistance, making them easy to clean. They are antimicrobial, so if they get smelly you just need to hang it up to air and it will self-clean. And, one that I find particularly amazing, wool absorbs VOCs - high volatile compounds. These are the chemicals emitted by varnish (yes nail varnish too, and nail varnish remover), formaldehyde that leaches out of furniture, and even air fresheners and cleaning products. These harmful compounds bind to the wool fibre and are permanently removed from the home atmosphere.
Supporting Cumbrian Farmers
By choosing a Chimney Sheep Herdwick wool rug, you're not just investing in a unique piece for your home. You’re helping out Cumbrian hill farmers and saving good wool from being burned or composted. You can get a small glow of pleasure every time you see your natural wool rug, knowing that you’ve got a piece of the Cumbrian Lake District in your home.
Through our "Operation Wool" initiative, we personally collect wool from local farms, ensuring every batch meets the highest standards while directly supporting the rural farming economy.
The Journey from Fell to Floor
There’s a lot of work that goes into these rugs!
- Shearing the Sheep
Each summer, the sheep are shorn—an essential process for their welfare. Without shearing, the sheep risk overheating, discomfort, and disease. Farmers gather the sheep and shear the wool, which is the first step in creating our rugs.
- Collecting the wool
We collect the wool directly from the farms, or they bring it to our new Wool Shed in Workington, where the wool is sorted, baled and weighed.
- Processing the Wool
The wool is washed, the lanolin is extracted for use in cosmetics, and the muck is removed and used to fertilise rhubarb in the Rhubarb Triangle. We hate waste at Chimney Sheep so it’s pleasing to know that the by-products are put to good use. The process also uses water very efficiently, and uses environmentally friendly detergent. If you know how mucky sheep wool is, you will be as impressed as me that only 1 litre of water is used to wash 1 kilo of wool! At the end of this process, 1 kilo of wool becomes around 650g of wool. Yep, a third of it is muck and grease.
- Traditional Woven Rugs
Skilled artisans spin the wool then weave it on traditional looms. This means each rug has its own individual characteristics, resulting in unique handmade wool rugs for rustic décor.
Why Supporting Local Matters
The Lake District isn’t just a beautiful place; it’s home to a vibrant community of hill farmers. Farming Herdwick sheep is a tradition that stretches back generations, but fluctuating wool prices have made it increasingly difficult for farmers to earn an income.
By purchasing their wool directly at a fair price, we’re not only helping these farmers make a living but also contributing to the preservation of the Lake District’s unique culture and environment. When you buy a Herdwick wool rug, you become part of this effort, supporting local livelihoods and sustainable practices. We are very pleased to be able to offer these luxury British wool rugs for sale in our online shop.
