Various sustainable businesses based in the Lake District are members of Blue Patch. And we are in the Lake District this week setting up our exhibition ‘Pull My Thread’. It is on at Brantwood, the former home of John Ruskin. The house is near Lake Coniston, so it is the perfect time to write a roundup of businesses in this area.
If you are visiting the Lake District, The Bath House Shop which has stores in Bowness, Kirkby Lonsdale and Ambleside is worth a visit. They stock their own brand of eco-friendly bath and beauty products. They’ve just been designated cruelty free by the Leaping Bunny program. They stock refillable hair & body wash and hand & body lotions in unique scents like Cedar & Lime or Frangipane & Grapefruit. Their face range includes Kombu Seaweed face cream, eye cream and cleansing milk. The mini editions are the perfect products to pack for a short break.
Wools of Cumbria in Kendal make carpets from natural British wool. The wool is sustainably sourced from local farms and the company was originally started to find a use for surplus Herdwick wool. Wools of Cumbria make carpets, rugs and runners for domestic and commercial applications. If you are visiting the Lake District, you can visit them at the Cumbria Woolshed to view carpet samples at Bankfield Mill.
At the same venue, you can see Laura’s Loom blankets and throws, cushions, socks and accessories and wool yarn. Laura makes the yarn and weaves the wool textiles on a pedal-powered loom in her studio at Sedbergh. She cycles to work the loom and produces unique pieces using local rare breed wool. She sources the wool from local farms and processes it and cleans it herself. A truly local enterprise! Laura’s work will also be on display at Pull My Thread at Brantwood near Lake Coniston.
Chimney Sheep also works with wool. They make a chimney sheep which provides insulation in the chimney flue when the chimney is out of use in summer or winter. The chimney sheep are made of locally sourced Herdwick wool. As well as the draught excluders, Chimney Sheep makes a variety of products. They make wool insulation and gardening accessories like hanging basket liners from wool. They also sell eco-friendly products. These include the Laundry Mac cover for rotary washing lines, eco-friendly picnic tableware, compostable nappies and more. They are based in Workington and sell products online in their store.
Charlie Whinney has a studio in Grange-over-sands where they make sculptural objects and art projects for home and garden. They also run community projects and courses in sustainable design. The work uses steam-bent wood and 90% of it is commissioned. They have worked on small and large installations in public buildings around the globe. You can visit the studio in the Lake District and buy ready-made lighting and smaller products. Contact the studio to place commissions.
Also in Grange-over-sands is Shape furniture. They are lending furniture to the Pull My Thread exhibition including chairs that are woven with Danish cord. This long-lasting material is incredibly strong and can last more than 60 years before the chair has to be reupholstered. The wood is ebonised ash providing a strong contrast with the neutral coloured cord and it is sustainably sourced from the Lake District. The workshop premises are a wonderful example of sustainable construction and is an example of their commitment to sustainability.
Sustainable businesses based in the Lake District
This showcase of sustainable businesses based in the Lake District is a small example of the incredible talent that is found in the Blue Patch community. If you are visiting the Lake District we would encourage you to visit or support these businesses by buying from their online stores. If you have a sustainable business that you would like to promote, join our membership.
