Solva Woollen Mill has been producing unique woven fabrics on its historic looms for over a century.
The mill is located a short distance inland from the village of Solva and sits on the banks of the River Solfach which would have been a necessity as a natural power resource for its water wheel.
Upon crossing the footbridge over the river on arrival you are greeted with the weaving shed, this is where you can see the process of weaving in motion, the looms, the wool, the shuttles, all the elements are here and nothing much has changed in terms of the equipment and technique used for many years. The smell of oil on the pattern chains, and the vintage machinery including the Dobcross looms plus the site of the wool being woven gives the visitor a great insight into the technical and artisan craft that is still being produced at the mill.
The Woollen Mill specialises in designing and weaving traditional wool runners and rugs on their Dobcross looms. Their bespoke designs are highly sought after and people visit and order from all over the world to experience and purchase a piece of Welsh history.
We were lucky enough to see some working processes on the day, with wool being setup ready to become the next woven fabrics. The staff were extremely welcoming, knowledgable and happy to answer any questions we had.
There were some bright yellow ochre tapestry rugs on display as well as some olive Welsh tapestry floor rugs and French navy Welsh Tapestry rugs sitting completed on the looms. Being able to read about the history within a working mill that has been producing fabrics in the same location over a long period of time is a great experience that I would highly recommend to anyone visiting Pembrokeshire.
I was able to capture some photography of my visit including some details within the weaving shed of machinery, the woven wool designs and working progress as well as some captured in the adjacent shop. The shop really is worth spending some time in as it has a vast array of stock on display and for sale, as well as other great artisan Welsh products that would be equally at home within a historical or contemporary interior setting.
All photographs were taken on my Canon 5D MKII paired with a new lens addition the Canon 70-300 f4 - 5.6 L IS USM lens, although the lighting was fairly dark in the shed, the lens performed very well at f4 with a little bumping up of the ISO to compensate for the slower shutter speeds. The extra reach at 300mm was welcomed to capture details and elements across the other side of the building.
A big thank you to owners Anna and Tom Grime for allowing me to capture these photographs whilst visiting, out of courtesy I would always recommend asking before you start shooting when visiting similar premises.
I hope you enjoy these photo’s and the hidden gem within Pembrokeshire that is Solva Woollen Mill.
All photographs captured on Monday 16th August 2021 at Solva Woollen Mill on a Canon 5D MKII paired with a Canon EF 70-300mm f4 - 5.6 L IS USM lens. © Hall Photographic 2021 - All Rights Reserved.
Check out more about Solva Woollen Mill by clicking this link.
solvawoollenmill.co.uk