[B]assenthwaite WI recently had a tour of the Chimney Sheep factory in Maryport. 100% Herdwick wool is made into chimney draught excluders which are shipped all over the country, and increasingly, all over the world.
The product blocks the throat of the chimney, preventing precious household warmth from escaping, and significantly reducing draughts.
The WI had a tour of the premises and owner Sally Phillips told the story of the Chimney Sheep, from idea to prototype to commercial product. Now nearly 5 years old, the company has been growing steadily and is keen to add products to its increasing range.
Sally said “As well as the Herdwick felt, we also use a green canvas to make containers for the Chimney Sheeps when they are pulled out of the chimney. We end up with pieces of fabric left over, and I’ve been racking my brains to think what we could use the canvas for. We already make the left-over pieces of wool into garden mulch and tree spats, which have proved very popular, but I asked the ladies for ideas for what we could do with the left-over canvas. It turned into a bit of a brain-storming session with lots of creative ideas being put forward!”
Continuing with the theme of garden products from the left-over wool, Sally settled on gardening aprons and kneelers. The kneelers are filled with – what else but? – sheep wool, and make a nice springy shock absorber for the knees. The aprons are robust and smart, with useful front pocket for garden tools.
“The wool makes excellent mulch” explained Sally. “The Herdwick wool when it is cut into small pieces looks like slate shillies. It protects delicate plants from competitive weeds, holds moisture in the soil, and slowly biodegrades to release valuable nutrients. It is even purported to have slug-repelling properties. Being an eco-company we hate waste so it made perfect sense to use our left-over pieces of canvas to add to our product range. Thanks are due to Bassenthwaite WI who came up with a whole range of creative ideas to work on.”
The garden products are available online, or can be bought directly from their warehouse in Maryport.
Chimney Sheep Ltd
25A Solway Industrial Estate
Maryport
Cumbria
CA15 8NF
www.chimneysheep.co.uk tel 01900 269427
