10 Things I Learnt from the National Wool Museum + My Welsh Travels

At the beginning of April, I went on a family holiday to west Wales; the Camarthanshire/ Ceredigion border, for a week of sun (surprisingly!), sheep and very green walks. 

It 'accidentally' turned into a very woolly week...

The only thing I'd planned to do prior to arriving was visit the National Wool Museum which was only a 10 minute drive from our accommodation! On the drive across, we'd passed another sign for a Wool Mill- I know that now to be Rock Mill- the last continuously water driven woollen mill in Wales. An absolute missed opportunity, but mega excuse to go back in the future, right? Since coming home and researching a lot of the area, I've now realised how huge the textile industry was in the Teifi Valley... I've already found another two missed mills.

National Wool Museum, Wales in the former Cambrian Mills

But, the one I'm sharing with you in this blog post is Cambrian Mills, which is now home to the National Wool Museum! This museum is one of seven which makes up Museum Wales.

The National Wool Museum is near Newcastle Emlyn, in a rather large village called Dre-fach Felindre. I didn't explore Dre-fach too much (we were going to pop to a pub, but none opened until 4pm- rural Wales for you), but I did spend a bit of time in Newcastle-Emlyn, and I'd recommend going there... More on that later. 

It's open 10am - 5pm, and completely free. You can book your free tickets online (with optional donation), before you arrive. Do you need tickets? I don't know. I hastily booked three in the car on the way, but no one checked once we arrived. So probably best to book on weekends and busier days... we went on a Thursday morning in the Easter Hols and it was pleasantly busy 

Like all good museums, they have a lot of activities and workshops you can get into- as well as a self-guided tour around the rooms. It's pretty accessible (there's a lift & ramps), and it's really nicely done inside. There is a lot to see, and downstairs in the main building there are a lot of machines that work, so if you have sensitive hearing; probably best to skip that part because they are noisy! But, you learn so much!

Anyway, back to the purpose of the blog: here are 10 weird and wonderful things I learnt from the National Wool Museum in Wales!

No.1. On The Suspicion Of Fires

Like I mentioned earlier. The Dre-fach area was home to a LOT of mills; 52 to be exact in 1900. Why don't they exist anymore? Well that's a story.

During WWI, the Welsh woollen industry was employed in the war effort to make blankets and uniforms for soldiers. A lot of mills ended up making a lot of the same things, and when the war ended, a lot just got stuck in the changing times. Demand for such material went down, along with its prices, and people were finding themselves out of work.

In July1919, the three-story Cambrian Mills building burned down. The Mill Manager, one John Davies, was on holiday at the time but received a telegram to the hotel. Apparently, he was unable to read it because it was in English, but a passing gentleman translated that the mill had been destroyed. With the insurance money, Cambrian Mills was rebuilt one storey less, but significantly longer.

Now, this was the first of seven suspicious fires in the Dre-fach area. Other mills burnt down included ones at Frondeg and Meiros, which were owned by David Lewis' (the mill owner) brothers; Daniel and John Lewis respectively. Because of so much suspicion around these fires, insurance companies insisted the mills were rebuilt, and instead of handing payouts after the fires, installments were paid as work carried out. Not all the mills were rebuilt.

No.2 The Dobcross Loom

The former mill manufactured a whole range of woollen goods; blankets, throws, flannels, shawls, bedcovers, shirts and stocking. I can't see that they ever manufactured yarn to sell, but they do sell wool fibres in the gift shop, and you can get Cambrian Wool there, too. 

When the mill closed in 1984, there were eight Dobcross Looms on the premises. You can imagine the noise just from this video of one loom that I took at the museum:

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Dobcross Looms are electrically powered looms, manufactured in the 19th century. They're used to weave shawls and blankets and cloth, and can do it in record timings. One loom can weave one metre worth of cloth in 20 minutes!

Weaving on these looms is quite similar to the handlooms you may be aware of. There are shuttles that hold the yarn in place, and weaving consists of running threads on the warp (that runs down), and weft (that runs across). One man could work two looms at a time, and produce 3km (nearly 2 miles) of cloth in a week.

This loom is still utilised today in the museum for demonstration, but they also sell Dobcross blankets in the gift shop. The staff member also disclosed that the museum has invested in a modern version of the Dobcross, and that should hopefully be up and running in a few months time. But, whilst they come to terms with that one- the Weaving Shed is closed for the time being. 

No.3 A 19th Century Computer

Learning how to use a Dobcross seemed pretty tricky to me, but we were told that anyone could pick it up in within a few months, and you'd be identifying where things were going wrong in only a matter of weeks. The thing that blew my mind the most, however, was the pattern chain.

Now, my dad is a web developer, and once this was likened to computer coding, he was all ears. In order to weave a new design a pattern chain needs to be created. These chain use an analogue, code-like system to tell the loom to raise and lower the warp threads in order to identify which colour goes next. Pattern chains can be easily adapted and added to, to increase the colours used in the woven design. 

No.4 A Seven Shawl Sandwich

The museum walks you through the whole process of making a blanket or shawl from wool to carding, to spinning , weaving and finishing. And, it's amazing to see how many machines are required for one little blanket. Imagine all the different types of people working there, each skilled in their own manufacturing techniques.

Another thing I hadn't even realised was a thing, was the 'Seven Shawl Sandwich', which is essentially a finishing technique to block the shawls. After washing, the shawls would be folded into quarters and placed between cardboard sheets on a hot press. For 11-12 hours, these shawls would be pressed over hot coals, turned and pressed again and then left overnight on a cold press.

What's even cooler is that the hot press in the museum is one of the few machines in the museum that was actually manufactured in Wales. A lot of machinery was manufactured in northern England, 'textile country', and exported to mills around the UK. So, to have a piece of machinery made by a local only down the road in Cardigan is like treasure to the heritage of Wales' woollen industry.

No.5 Devil's In The Detail

When we first came across this machine, all we could think of was "is this the type of stuff children would climb under when they had to work?"... scary thought, but also kinda true. Children were expected to join their parents in the mills as soon as they were 10 years of age during the Industrial Revolution. A common job would be to look after the carding machine, which was equally a lot of cogs and wheels.

The willowing machine, or willeying machine, pulled apart and mixed the wool fibres before they went on to be carded and then spun. It was often called 'Diafol', or 'The Devil' because of it sharp iron-spike-like-teeth. According to the museum, this machine comes from another mill; Ffatri Tŷ Main, and it actually ripped a man's arm off. Ouch...

There's another willower in their collection that's a little bit smaller, but again was manufactured by local man John Davies and his son, Robert.

No.6 The Luddites

I walked into the museum with my dad and younger brother, thinking I might be able to teach them a little something about all this wool. Never did I think my brother would have something over me (thanks Horrible Histories). The Luddites were a group of workers who, in an effort to protect their jobs, destroyed new industrial machinery around the Nottingham/ Yorkshire/ Lancashire areas. The group targeted machines that were de-skilling labour (Hey AI!!) and causing widespread unemployment, such as the stocking frames and power looms. These machines could get the jobs done so much faster and more efficiently for a fraction of the cost. 

Since I've returned home and sat to curate these posts with a little added research, I've come across a lot of conflicting information about the Luddites. Essentially, they were founded in the 18th century, but they didn't really take off until 1811, and between then and 1816 were the main years of destruction.

Also, their 'leader'; Ned Ludd, he's fictional. A 'Ned Ludd' (aka. Captain, General or King Ludd), turned up at at Nottingham protest in November 1811, inspiring the protesters and moving from one industrial town to the next. But, Ludd never existed. He was a fictional character from an incident taken place in Leicester 22 years earlier. Apparently a young apprentice called Ludd or Ludham was working on a stocking frame when a superior reprimanded him for knitting too loosely. In response, the apprentice grabbed a hammer and flattened the entire frame. 

No.7 A Valley Of Mills

Like I mentioned earlier, I didn't know how woolly the area was. It's obvious when I think of it now; the amount of sheep in the fields when we drove anywhere just screams wool...

So, during the mid-19th century, textile factories started popping up all over the Teifi Valley, especially around the Dre-fach area. Here, specifically, there are an abundance of streams that make perfects spots for water mills. Rock Mill is the last working woollen water mill in Wales. 

Around this time, woven fabrics were significant uniforms for workers in the industrial valleys of south Wales, think coal minders and iron workers. They wore Welsh flannel because it was hard-wearing, great at absorbing sweat, and flame resistant. Cambrian Mills even supplied the Welsh Army Corps with uniforms in WWI.

I can't express enough how important the woollen industry was on Wales and her people. From the Middle Ages up to the 20th century, it was a livelihood for so many people. In the whole country, only 13 mills have survived, but not one takes up the whole process of fabric to fleece anymore. 

No.8 Welsh Costume

Lady Llanover is known in Wales as one of the main advocates of Welsh folk culture. Every Sunday and on public occasion , Lady Llanover wore Welsh costume. 

What is Welsh Costume? It's Wales' National Dress, based on the cloting worn by working women living in rural areas of the country in the 19th century. Consisting of a tall black hat, bedgown and woollen shawl, regions had their own variations on the dress, but it was made of local wool, over the more popular and modern cotton. 

How did Lady Llanover popularise the dress?

Other than wearing it herself, and encouraing her noble friends and staff to wear Dress, she also had won an Eisteddfod (annual Welsh festival of music, poetry and performance) compatition in 1834. Her set of essays disclosed the benefits of preserving the Welsh language and national costume of Wales.

Lady Llanover herself, even sponsored competitions for the best cloth or sample of flannel that were knitted or dyed in the national checks or stripes.

No.9 Drapers' Shops

Drapers' shops were once an essential part of the high street, selling not finished items, but cloth and fabrics by the yard. It was common for mill owners to travel to these shops and sell the wares. 

Such as David Lewis, owner of Cambrian Mills. He would travel Emlyn Davies' shop in Dowlais to sell his flannel. Davies was born in Newcastle- Emlyn (a 10 minute drive from the Wool Museum), but in 1898 opened his own draper's shop. 

Miriam Davies in front of her father's draper's shop in East Street, Dowlais, c.1917  ©Museum Wales

Such flannel would be made into shirts and underwear for the local coal minders and iron workers.

Davies was a credit draper. So, his customers would buy their goods on credit terms, paying small amounts off their bill each week. Davies would then travel to the nearby towns, collecting orders and delivering goods. 

No.10 A Welsh Custom

Knitting sheaths were often elaborately carved as love tokens, and it was once a Welsh custom to gift these to loved ones. 

Men would carve wooden items with a range of designs, and anything from flowers to hearts to fish. The carver's name was also often engraved on the items. These 'love tokens' were available to people of all classes, and most often made with affordable materials that were readily available. 

Sources:

Fire in the Mill, Mark Lucas, n.d, Amgueddfa Cymru Blog

What the Luddites Really Fought Against, Richard Conniff, 2011, Smithsonian Magazine

How did a small Welsh village lead a big industry?, n.d, Welsh Otter

The Woollen Mills of Wales, Amgueddfa Cymru - Museum Wales, 2011, People's Collection Wales

Drapers' Shops, 2019, Amgueddfa Cymru Blog

Augusta Hall, Lady Llanover, Directory of Welsh Biography, 2011, People's Collection Wales

Black hats, petticoats and bedgowns - exploring traditional outfits in Wales, n.d, Wales.com

Tokens of Love, Fflur Morse, 2024, Amgueddfa Cymru Blog