Meet Britain's only female ropemaker - who is keeping the ancient craft alive in the Yorkshire Dales

In 2016, she joined Outhwaites, the rope workshop that had traded in Hawes since 1905. Offered a job by owners Peter and Ruth Annison, she initially found it difficult to pick up the centuries-old craft after a career spent mostly in the hotel industry.

Seven years on, Caroline is preparing to launch her own business specialising in dog leads, halters and skipping ropes after the sad closure of Outhwaites in the autumn. Her venture will make her one of just 11 ropemakers left in the UK, and the only woman still using traditional hand laying methods.

She is currently setting up her unit in Askrigg, where she has lived for 37 years since moving from Shipley, near Bradford, having bought some of Outhwaites’ machinery and inheriting some of their customers.

"I knew Peter and Ruth a bit, and when they offered me a 9-5 job with no weekends, I said ‘absolutely!’ Peter showed me how to make ropes and splice dog leads. In June this year, we were told we were all being made redundant and it was devastating. They’d been there since 1905 and I thought, we just can’t let it go. We needed to preserve the heritage.”

The decision to go it alone was made quickly, and Askrigg Ropemakers was born. Former colleague Andrew Cumpstone has also set up Kefi Textiles, based in Richmond, and rather than compete with Caroline, he will focus more on machine work, producing braided rope.

"Before I started working at Outhwaites, I’d not done anything like that before and I’m not crafty. I didn’t ‘get’ it straight away and it took me a long time to learn. But now I can do it with my eyes closed, and I can have a conversation while splicing – it becomes second nature.

"The support I’ve had has been mindblowing. Eventually I’d like to employ local people and train them, or possibly take on some former Outhwaites staff who have that knowledge. I had been planning on going down to four days a week to spend more time with my grandchild – but I’ve gone the other way and I’ll be doing seven days!”

Caroline is hoping to be up and running in January, having had a £1,000 grant from Richmondshire Council, and has already had enquiries.

"I get my material supplies from Halifax, and I’ve got to know so much stuff already about sizes and prices. I’ve got some of the old Outhwaites customers for halters for agricultural shows.

"I love that there is an end product that I can see, and that I’m keeping the history going. It’s a magical process and one I’m very passionate about.”

History of Dales ropemaking

Outhwaites was established in 1905 next to Hawes Station, but by the end of World War Two, the founder’s son Thomas was working alone. In 1974, he featured in a BBC film about his desperate hunt for a successor he could train and pass the business to. Salvation came from Leeds college lecturers Peter and Ruth Annison – who had never made rope or lived in the Dales. Yet they made Outhwaites a success, opening a museum and running it until Peter’s death and Ruth’s retirement.