Handmade in the Dales: Keeping the Ropemaking Tradition Alive

Tucked away in the heart of Wensleydale, in the Yorkshire Dales, lies a small workshop where something rare still happens every day: traditional rope is made by hand. Caroline at Askrigg Ropemakers, is one of the few remaining traditional ropemakers in the UK.

Caroline’s story begins in the hospitality industry, where she worked for 30 years, like many in that world, she experienced both the rewarding and exhausting sides of the job. In 2016, however, her life took an unexpected turn when she was offered a full-time role at Outhwaites Ropemakers in Hawes - a historic company that had been making rope in the Yorkshire Dales for generations.

The appeal was immediate: a steady Monday-to-Friday job with no weekends, no nights, and a proper Christmas break. She took the job, and in doing so, discovered a craft she would grow to love.

At Outhwaites, Caroline learned the heritage method of rope making: walking the ropewalk, twisting and laying strands of fibre by hand. More than a job, it became a passion. The workshop wasn’t just a place of work; it was a place of tradition, skill, and pride.

But in August 2022, Caroline was given her redundancy notice. Outhwaites was closing its doors, ending more than a century of rope making in Hawes. She was devastated — not only for herself, but for the loss of a historic craft that had helped define the region.

She returned home unsure of her next move, but her partner, Richard, had a clear answer:“Buy the machines. Start your own rope making business.”And that’s exactly what she did.

Shortly after, Caroline founded Askrigg Ropemakers, bringing traditional hand-laid rope making back to life in a small workshop in the village of Askrigg. With secondhand ropewalk machinery, years of experience, and an unshakable belief in the value of craft, she began making rope again — by hand, the old way.

Today, Askrigg Ropemakers stands proudly as a rare survivor in a vanishing trade. Caroline is one of fewer than a dozen traditional ropemakers still working in the UK, keeping alive techniques that were once vital to farming, shipping, and industry across Britain.

Each product is made entirely in-house, crafting ropes that are strong, beautiful, and built to last.

Why Traditional Rope Making Still Matters

The rope making trade has deep roots in the UK, with workshops once supplying ships, farms, and factories all across the country. In the Yorkshire Dales, rope making was an important local industry. But in the face of industrialisation and mass production, the number of ropewalks, and skilled ropemakers, has dwindled.

Now, with very few artisans still working in the field, the craft is at serious risk of being lost. For Caroline, this business is not just about making rope, it’s about preserving a tradition, celebrating local heritage, and showing that handmade, meaningful products still have a place in the modern world.

What Askrigg Ropemakers Offers

From her workshop, Caroline produces a range of handcrafted goods made from her own rope, including:

• Dog leads

• Livestock halters

• Skipping ropes

• Bespoke items made to order
  

Each item is made with care, using traditional methods and materials — no mass production, no shortcuts. These are products with a story, built by hand in the Yorkshire Dales by a true craftswoman.

Visitors are welcome to explore the online shop, where the full range of available products is listed. Whether you're a dog owner, a farmer, a lover of heritage crafts, or simply someone curious about a trade from the past — there’s something to discover at Askrigg Ropemakers.

Askrigg Ropemakers isn’t just about rope — it’s about keeping alive the skill, spirit, and soul of a craft that once tied the country together.