Meet the Dalesman who has expanded his family's Yorkshire wool clothing brand to give farmers a better deal

Clapham-based wool clothing business Glencroft is run by Edward Sexton and his parents Richard and Justina. Edward recently decided he was going to try and do something that would at least give his own neighbouring farmers the opportunity of a better price for their fleeces and at the same time launch a new brand, Clapdale.

“We are always trying to become more unique, something niche that sets us apart from the rest. I’m also a Clapham lad. I grew up here, went to school here and with the farmers who I am now working alongside on producing Clapdale wool.

“I’ve wanted to do something specifically unique to where we are and when people purchase from us I often hear the words ‘is it your own wool?’ Well it is now.

“I had a chance conversation a couple of years ago, which put me in touch with a couple of ladies. Maria Benjamin who owns a farm in the Lake District and Zoe Fletcher from The Wool Library. They making their own yarn from Herdwick sheep and other breeds.

“I decided that I wanted this venture to be very real about Clapham, about this part of the Yorkshire Dales. I knew from my sheep farmer friends that the price they were receiving for their wool was pretty much worthless and I thought that since I had a wool clothing business in Yorkshire surely there was something I could be doing to help while also making good business sense.

Edward got together with two local sheep farmers last year, both of whom had sheep in fields either side of the Glencroft premises, using Dalesbred wool from John Dawson’s flock and Texel-cross-Mule wool from Alan Whitaker.

“The ladies had given me the idea this project was possible so long as I could source 500 kilos, which is the minimum amount you can get commercially scoured. So, last year that’s what I did. Alan is the husband of Rose who works with me.

“We ended up with 300 kilos of wool from 500 kilos of raw fleece and we made half of it into 100g hand knit hanks of DK weight with the other 150 kilos into cones of yarn to make our own luxury knitwear.

“I’m just starting on the second year and I’m expanding from two farmers to eleven and from taking in 500 kilos to 3 tonnes, with a concentration on the Dalesbred breed. We are now members of the Dalesbred Sheep Breeders Association.

Edward has made a commitment to his sheep farmer producers that includes more than just a better initial price than they have been receiving. He said the whole task is still a gamble, but that it is one that he is enjoying.

“We are giving our sheep farmers a decent price upfront and I have also committed 10 per cent of anything made in profit will go to those involved.

“We were fortunate that in our first year we received assistance from the Yorkshire Dales Sustainable Development Fund and this year we have just signed off on assistance from Farming in Protected Landscapes. Without that funding this would not have been possible at all.

Edward took over the business from his father Richard who founded it in 1987. He said that the Glencroft name, that is already well known for 100 per cent British wool jumpers, flat caps and sheepskin rugs is hopefully now to find new markets with its Clapdale Wool Collection.

“I’m working with the UK’s leading technicians and designers at KnitLab North in Northumberland. One of the problems when you are only buying in small quantities is the cost base of production per kilo.

Edward said that he has plans for short, mid and long term.

“Having 3 tonnes this second year will certainly help. I’m intending to dye a proportion of the yarn next year and I’m really excited about producing a real Dalesbred Tweed. We already use a Yorkshire tweed for our flat caps.

“The key to this whole project is the attraction of producing clothing and wool that has started its life on a farm in Yorkshire and we are now producing a sustainable, highly traceable product that only ventures out of the county by a few miles for its production into tweed.

“In the longer term Clapdale tweed offers us even more options from selling cloth to producing ties and flat caps, which are not too expensive to make and maybe even tweed suits for those who enjoy country pursuits.

Croshead xxxx

Edward and his parents Richard and Justina are partners in the family business that also employs a couple of local people. Richard has worked in the wool and sheepskin world since the 60s and still hand finishes the sheepskin rugs they sell today. Edward’s earlier career away from Clapham was in marketing.

Edward said that while Clapdale is the new arm to the business the Glencroft name has always been associated with locally sourcing.

“We try to be as local and as responsibly sourced as we can. I don’t say everything is made in Britain because it’s not, but what we are about what we do is real and honest about everything.

“Our range of jumpers currently runs to 15 styles on our website and we recently sold 1000 to a mail order firm in US. We are delighted to have been nominated in this year’s Yorkshire Post Rural Awards.