ALL WOOL AND A YARD WIDE

We know our prehistoric ancestors hunted wild sheep for meat. At some point, probably around 10,000BC, some of our forefathers realised that by domesticating sheep they could also use these animals for wool and milk.

An industry

The earliest wool would have been made into yarn by simply pulling the wool apart and twisting it through fingers and wrapping the yarn around a stick. Tools built to make the job easier and faster soon developed, and by the time that the Bronze Age arrived in Britain we were weaving our wool on looms. Archaeological finds of this period include loom weights and weaver’s combs and spindles, suggesting skilled individuals were at work, marking the beginnings of a wool industry.

There was little further development in terms of wool production until the 12th century when the technology involved in the production of wool underwent a massive transformation with the upright loom. Double looms were also introduced, which allowed two weavers to work side by side, making the production of far larger pieces of fabric possible. Different types of material were made from wool, with the finer