Dentdale and the Terrible Knitters of Dent

 

Although part of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, its western reaches are indeed in Cumbria! And in these western Dales can be discovered a tiny hidden dale with its small capital, the tiny village of Dent.

Visitors find this tiny and quaint stone-built village as a journey back in time... its narrow cobbled streets standing testimony to bygone days. But it was these long-gone historic days that the local population became renowned as perhaps the fastest and the best hand -knitters in the country.

Here, men, women and children kniited massive amounts ofmwoollen knitwear for distant towns and cities. Taught from childhood, the residents of Dent and Dentdale soon gained a reputation because of their incredible speed and productivity. It seemed that every spare minute was spent knitting - but it was amuch needed supplement to the meagre family incomes of farmers and lead-miners alike.

Such was the terribly fast speed at which thes dalesfolk knitted that they soon became renowned as 'The Terrible Knitters of Dent'.

This ancient tradition still survivers for, beside the Village Green in the village of dent, can be found Sophies Wild Woollens, producing exquisite quality designer knitwear.