Issue 124 Rural

From the 17th to the mid-18th century, a stream of inventions revolutionised the textile industry and, eventually, the global economy.  These textile-focussed inventions – from the spinning jenny through to the Jacquard loom and aniline dyes – signalled the death knell to traditional rural industries. The Industrial Revolution triggered a mass migration of vast swathes of the population from rural areas to metropolitan centres. The city ruled for over a century, and the urban elite considered the country unsophisticated.

Today, the tables have turned, and a similar stream of inventions from the late 19th century to the present – computers, the internet, smartphones, and AI – have made it possible to conduct sophisticated business outside the metropolitan centre in an economically and socially advantageous way. This Technological Revolution has triggered mass migration back to small, sustainable communities, where individuals once again engage in workbench-focused industries.  

In this issue, we highlight individuals and businesses who have found creative freedom in the country. Although gentrification of the countryside brings its own problems, these incomers inject cultural sophistication into rural areas, quashing old stereotypes and illustrating the moral of Aesop’s fable  The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse: we should appreciate the simple things we have. There are apparent cost-of-living advantages to making a home in the country, but also a slower, more sustainable way of life that encourages creative expression; this milieu is reflected in the wardrobes donned by out-of-towners. Working with Daniel Carpenter of the Heritage Crafts, we have identified a block printer, sail maker, chair caner, shopkeeper, ribbon weaver, felt maker, basket maker, and carpet restorer who have all built thriving businesses around preserving heritage skills.  

If you are yet to be persuaded to take the plunge, up sticks, and escape to the country, we suggest creative holidays and rural retreats to whet the appetite. But before you go, remember the advice, “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing,” and look to Sarah E Braddock Clarke’s feature on knits to warm the heart. Now that the weather is warmer, I urge you to go outside and enjoy the countryside.

Polly Leonard, Founder