Scotch carpets, Crawick Woollen Manufactures, Sanquhar

During the 1700s Kilmarnock was the main centre for carpet manufacture in this area.  By the late 18th century, however, looms were set up in Sanquhar, Dumfries, Creetown and Newton Stewart.  Cheap but not very durable carpeting could be produced on a simple loom, the carpet having the appearance of thick woollen cloth.  The strips of material were sewn together to producea carpet of the correct size.  Similar, but more expensive, was this Scotch carpet, woven on a more complex loom to produce a cloth of double thickness.  The colours are reversed on the underside, so the carpet could be turned over for a change of decoration!   Crawick carpets were famed for their fine patterns, and were sold throughout Britain and overseas.  The mill ceased carpet production in the mid 1850s, due to increasing competition from the large carpet factories of Kilmarnock and Glasgow.