Yorkshire Dales ropemaker preserves ancient craft's heritage

Ropemaker Caroline Rodgers, pictured in her workshop in Askrigg, Wensleydale, says she is one of only 11 traditional ropemakers in the UK

Opening the door to her workshop in the Yorkshire Dales, one of Britain's last remaining traditional ropemakers confesses that she "smiles every day she walks in".

Caroline Rodgers' benches in Askrigg are lined with colourful handmade ropes, dog leads and cattle halters - all made on a ropewalk using methods known as 'hand laying'.

Ms Rodgers says she is one of only 11 traditional ropemakers in the UK - and could be the only female ropemaker with their own business in the north of England.

The 56 year old says the ancient craft is a trade she fell into when the owners of Outhwaites Ropemakers in Hawes offered her a job with a regular shift pattern and a good wage.

However, after more than a century in business, Outhwaites closed its doors in late 2022, which threatened to wipe out the trade completely in the Yorkshire Dales.

"Rather than let the heritage die - there has been a ropemakers around here since 1905 - I bought the machines," Ms Rodgers tells BBC Radio York.

Ms Rodgers uses a ropewalk to hand lay the rope

"It was tough, it wasn't just tough for me but for everyone that worked there and tough for the community because Outhwaites was a local attraction," she recalls.

"Going past now and seeing that the buildings are more or less derelict is quite upsetting for the area, everything is overgrown."

Determined to keep the tradition going, Ms Rodgers set up Askrigg Ropemakers and says she has since received a great deal of support from the local community.

"There was blood, sweat, tears, broken fingernails, a lot of swearing but we did it and I'm very proud," she says.

"I don't want the area to lose its ropemaker, I don't want the area to lose its heritage.

"I want to put Askrigg on the map for its ropemakers."

Most modern ropes are knit-braided on a machine, she says, with the art of traditional ropemaking being lost.

"Making it on the ropewalk is hand laying it, so you're walking up and you're walking down," she says.

"The machine puts the twists in the rope but you do everything else."

She says she is determined to keep the craft going in the Yorkshire Dales

It only takes her about a minute to make the rope but it is a hard craft to master, with the speed of the ropemaker's walk affecting how stiff the rope ends up.

Ms Rodgers claims the quality is much better than that of machine-braided ropes.

Her business attracts trade from many of the local dog owners and farmers, with orders keeping her busy for between 12-14 hours a day.

"If I can make it, I'll make it," Ms Rodgers says.

Askrigg Ropemakers has also attracted visits from high-profile figures such as TV presenter Helen Skelton and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Helen was a natural, according to Ms Rodgers, but the PM's rope "wasn't so good", the ropemaker says with a smile.