The Central and Western Lake District - big skies, bigger peaks and home to the Herdwick. A wild landscape where for centuries the Herdwick has roamed; tough and resilient with a smiling face.
Traditionally used in the carpet industry, this breed has fallen out of favour, with their fleeces now seen as a by-product of sheep farming. So some might question why we would use Herdwick in Solidwool, and what makes it so special?
A lot of this is down to the wool and where the Herdwick comes from. Currently, it is believed that around 95% of the breed are located within 14 miles of Coniston in the Central Lake District. So if you want to know the provenance of the wool in your Solidwool chair, we couldn’t explain it better than that. It is a wool that tells us everything we need to know about the breed and where it comes from: robust, resilient and wild. And when used in Solidwool, this wool is beautiful.
The Lakes have been shaped by the Herdwick. With high fells and harsh winters, the Herdwick naturally ‘heft’ themselves to the land, their grazing defining the landscape in this famous corner of the UK. Their wool boasts unique and durable qualities, with their fleece helping them endure the cold winters and wet weather in the fells. Lambs are born black, turning brown after a year with their fleece changing to grey as they age.
And it is this dark, coarse wool with its lighter guard hairs that work so well in Solidwool. Other wools disappeared in our bio-resin, but the wiry grey fibres of Herdwick come to life, creating a composite where these light guard hairs stood proud - announcing that Herdwick is at the heart of Solidwool.
With Herdwick we can tell a story, and create design with soul and a sensitivity to the land it comes from. A story that connects Solidwool to this incredible, ancient breed and their environment.
To take the unwanted, and make it into something beautiful.