©  Anthony Green  2011

The development of Redditch was influenced largely by the needle industry. Needle making in England dates back to the 16th Century and became established in Redditch as a ‘cottage industry’ during the 17th Century. The role of water power, and the River Arrow, on the early development was important and marked the transition from a domestic manufacturing system to an industrialised system. In Redditch, Forge Mill, Ipsley Mill and Washford Mill were all converted to needle mills with the aim of improving the scouring and pointing processes. In 1730 Henry Milward and Sons was founded and, in 1785, Abel Morrall was founded. At the close of the 18th Century nearly 2000 people in the area were employed in the trade.

The most famous of these needle mills is Forge Mill (picture right) which was established in 1730 and continued in operation until 1958. It has been extensively restored and now houses the National Needle Museum.

The needle industry in Redditch was the main reason for the growth of the town in the 19th Century and by the middle of that century the population had increased to 5000. At that time Redditch was producing 200 million needles per week and exported throughout the world.

During the 20th Century, most of the needle manufacturing companies were taken over by ‘The Needle Industries’ based in Studley which became the largest needle manufacturer in the world. This declined due to low cost overseas manufacture was saved by a management buy-out in 1991 and now trades under the old name of ‘ENTACO’.

In terms of links, there are no significant histories of needle manufacture on the web. However, Redditch is fortunate in having the National Needle Museum at Forge Mill and there are sites with some information.

Short History - Needle Manufacture (Adobe Flash Presentation)