Snuggle up with a Welsh tapestry blanket

From collectable antique tapestries to new vintage-inspired designs in contemporary colours, woven Welsh wool blankets are back in fashion

‘There used to be no market for Welsh blankets,’ says expert dealer Jane Beck. ‘Twenty years ago would go to local auctions, pick them up for £2–£10 and reliably turn a profit. Most of the mills were in decline – the exception being Melin Tregwynt – but I hit it at just the right time.’ Now Welsh blankets, both old and new, can fetch large sums. ‘They’ve been a good price for a while now,’ says Jane. ‘Vintage ones cost between £270–£340, with an average price of about £280.’

The earliest pieces in Jane’s collection date from the 1830s and were dyed with madda, a reliable deep red, plant-based dye. ‘Price for the older blankets is affected by whether they have provenance or not,’ she explains. ‘Without provenance, you might be looking at £260, but if I know exactly which mill it came from, it could add another £200 on top of that.’

It’s easy to trace the later blankets from the 1950s to 1970s, as there are still plenty of people around who worked in the mills, but older examples can be harder to research. The fact that pre-1930 people didn’t move around very much, and often stayed in the same village all their lives, can help. ‘Older, narrow-width blankets were mostly bought from the local mill, within 10 miles of where the original buyer lived,’ explains Jane. Often, before they’re sold to Jane, they’ve been stored in cupboards for generations and remained in the same family.

‘Some blankets have labels, some don’t. Mills did weave for each other and they all copied each other – so that muddies the waters a bit,’ chuckles Jane, who has studied thousands of blankets over the years and is very knowledgeable about when specific designs were made and by whom.

There are a few big names to look out for – such as Lewis Jones, a talented hand-weaver who produced ‘complicated and beautiful’ Caerfenni (fringed blankets) on narrow-width looms in his Lampeter home for 50 years. Jane is friends with his great grandson. But a lot of the rural mills were producing simple blankets which were sold – well, bartered – directly to customers in exchange for fleece, so it’s a largely anonymous realm.

When buying vintage blankets, look out for moth holes, marks and frayed edges; these can all reduce the value and appeal. It’s best to buy in person, or online from a reputable dealer. Due to demand, Jane also offers a repair service for damaged blankets, mending holes and tears.

Today, Jane sells elegant new blankets too, based on old designs and woven locally in on-trend colours such as grey, aubergine, teal and mustard. Even hip lifestyle shops such as Toast are stocking new Welsh blankets. These warm wool blankets are perfect to wrap up in for snug evenings by the fire, to use as a throw to drape over a sofa or chair, or to add a cosy layer to your bed. Their hard-wearing qualities also mean they are ideal for outdoor adventures, from picnics to camping.

Fforest co-founder Sian Tucker sells new pieces that are woven on a 1930s loom at Melin Teifi in her online shop, and has an impressive personal collection of vintage Welsh blankets – picked up at car-boot sales and in second-hand shops. ‘It’s almost like an addiction – you can never have enough!’ she says. ‘There’s always a colour or pattern combination that you haven’t seen before.’

There’s no sign that Welsh blankets will fall out of fashion again any time soon. ‘I don’t think the Welsh blanket will ever lose its appeal,’ agrees Sian. ‘We love them because they’re warm, comforting, come in beautiful colours, are woven just like they always were in the traditional way in pure wool and – of course – are quintessentially Welsh.’

WORDS: ELLIE TENNANT