Top 10 Best Textile Manufacturers in Forest of Dean

Textiles in the Forest of Dean and Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire has a long and celebrated textile history. For centuries the Stroud valleys, just across the Severn from the Forest of Dean, were famous for producing fine woollen cloth, including the scarlet broadcloth once used for military uniforms. Fast-flowing streams powered mills, and the region's wool trade brought wealth to towns across the county. While the Forest of Dean itself was better known for coal, iron and timber, its businesses and residents have long been connected to this textile economy.

Today, the textile industry in the region has evolved. Traditional woollen mills have been joined by manufacturers of technical textiles, high-performance coated fabrics, filtration media and specialist materials used in sport, industry and healthcare. This guide highlights ten textile manufacturers that serve and supply businesses in the Forest of Dean, from local specialists to respected British mills.

Why Local and British Textile Manufacturing Matters

Businesses increasingly seek reliable, sustainable and traceable supply chains. British textile manufacturers offer shorter lead times, higher quality control and lower transport emissions compared with long-distance imports. For Forest businesses in hospitality, interiors, outdoor clothing and industrial engineering, partnering with UK mills supports resilience and quality. Technical textiles are a particularly important growth area, supplying sectors such as aerospace, automotive, construction and food processing.

The Top 10 Textile Manufacturers Serving the Forest of Dean

1. Holscot

Based in Cinderford, Holscot is a specialist manufacturer working with fluoropolymer materials, including PTFE-coated fabrics, films and tapes. These high-performance materials are used in food processing, packaging, industrial heat sealing and engineering applications. Holscot demonstrates the Forest's strength in advanced technical materials.

2. WSP Textiles

Operating in the Stroud valleys, WSP Textiles continues the region's woollen heritage. It is known for producing high-quality woven cloth, including specialist fabrics for sporting applications such as billiard and snooker tables. Its products are respected internationally and showcase centuries of local weaving expertise.

3. Hollingsworth & Vose

Hollingsworth & Vose is a global manufacturer of advanced filtration and nonwoven materials, with operations in Gloucestershire. Its engineered media are used in air and liquid filtration, energy storage and industrial applications. Its presence highlights the county's transition from traditional cloth to high-tech materials.

4. Cotswold Woollen Weavers

Cotswold Woollen Weavers is a working woollen mill producing traditional fabrics, throws and accessories. It celebrates the Cotswold wool tradition and is popular with visitors and retailers. Forest of Dean shops and interiors businesses seeking authentic regional woollen products often look to mills like this.

5. A W Hainsworth

A W Hainsworth is one of Britain's oldest and most prestigious woollen mills, famous for ceremonial uniform cloth, interiors fabrics and technical textiles. Although based in Yorkshire, it supplies businesses nationwide, including hospitality and interiors clients in Gloucestershire.

6. Abraham Moon & Sons

Abraham Moon & Sons is a renowned vertical woollen mill that manages every stage of production from raw wool to finished cloth. Its fabrics are used in fashion, upholstery and accessories. Forest-based retailers and upholsterers value its British provenance and distinctive tweeds and checks.

7. Camira Fabrics

Camira Fabrics is a major British manufacturer of contract upholstery textiles, widely used in offices, transport and hospitality. It emphasises sustainable fibres such as wool, recycled polyester and plant-based materials. Commercial interiors projects in the Forest of Dean often specify its durable fabrics.

8. Melin Tregwynt

Melin Tregwynt is a celebrated Welsh woollen mill producing blankets, throws and cushions with distinctive modern designs. Given the Forest's close ties with Wales, its products are popular with local gift shops, holiday lets and interior designers seeking high-quality, heritage-inspired textiles.

9. Sanderson Design Group

Sanderson Design Group owns some of Britain's best-known fabric and wallpaper brands and operates its own printing facilities in the UK. Its fabrics are widely used in residential interiors. Forest of Dean interior designers and soft furnishing makers frequently work with its collections.

10. Kalex Films

Kalex Films, located in the Forest of Dean, manufactures recycled PET sheet for the packaging industry. While not a traditional textile mill, its work with recycled polymers is closely related to the materials used in technical textiles and polyester fibres, reflecting the area's growing role in sustainable material manufacturing.

How to Choose a Textile Manufacturer

Start by defining your requirements, including fibre type, performance properties, quantities and certifications. For technical textiles, ask about testing standards such as fire resistance, food contact compliance or durability ratings. For traditional fabrics, consider provenance, sustainability credentials and minimum order quantities. Visiting mills or requesting samples is the best way to assess quality.

Textile Industry Trends

Sustainability is driving major change, with growing demand for recycled fibres, natural materials and circular manufacturing. Technical textiles continue to expand into new sectors, including renewable energy and medical devices. British heritage mills are enjoying renewed interest as consumers value quality and provenance. Digital printing and automation are helping manufacturers offer shorter runs and faster turnaround.

Final Thoughts

The textile story of Gloucestershire is far from over. From advanced fluoropolymer fabrics made in Cinderford to heritage woollen cloth woven in the Stroud valleys, the region continues to produce materials of real quality. Forest of Dean businesses have access to a remarkable range of textile manufacturers, combining tradition, innovation and sustainability.