Truly unique items from Woad-inc.

Woad has been grown in Europe since the Stone Age and has a long association with East Anglia, notably with Boudicca and the Iceni tribe who used it to colour their faces before going into battle.

Production of woad in England declined because of imported indigo from South East Asia and synthetic indigo, which was cheaper to create than the natural colour.  The last woad mill in Lincolnshire closed in 1932.

In 1998 we became involved as growers for a research programme to establish woad's sustainability as an alternative to manufactured indigo.  Synthetic indigo has blighted its reputation as a cheap and reliable dye because of the harmful chemicals used in its processs.

Now, we are independently growing the plant, extracting the pigment and producing a range of homewares and clothing dyed with the pigment.  We are also extracting oil from the seed.  We dye natural fibres with our natural pigment.