Britain’s last remaining professional female ropemaker fears the ancient craft might ‘die out’ if she can’t secure an apprentice in time.

Yorkshire Post

Britain’s last remaining professional female ropemaker fears the ancient craft might ‘die out’ if she can’t secure an apprentice in time.  Caroline Rodgers, 56, who is just one of 11 traditional manufacturers left in the country, said it would be ‘tragic’ if the 300-year-old heritage trade ceased to exist.  The grandmother previously spent months learning how to make the exquisite cords when she joined manufacturer Outhwaites in Hawes, North Yorks., seven years ago.  But after the business closed in 2022, she bought one of their 40-year-old machines and set up her own company, Askrigg Ropemakers, to carry on the tradition.

Transcript

00:00 My name is Caroline. I own Ashford Roatmakers. I've owned it since 2022 when I was made redundant

00:21 from Althwaite's in Hawes, bought all the machinery and set up to keep the heritage

00:28 alive as there's been a Roatmaker in Hawes since 1905. I didn't want it to die so I thought

00:48 "eh oh" you know get the machines set up. I make 100% cotton dog leads, cattle holters,

00:58 lead ropes, skipping ropes. If I can make it out of rope I will make it out of rope.

01:10 So there's only 11 Roatmakers left in the UK that make rope the traditional way which

01:15 is the hand laying way. That's why I thought it was so important to buy the machines that

01:28 I needed, get them in here, get them in my unit and also I'm passionate about what I

01:36 do. I love my job and I want to put the village that I live in, Asquig, on the map for having

01:43 a Roatmaker.

01:50 [Rapid breathing]

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