Being true to their hand-made traditions means fourth-generation family bootmakers William Lennon have certainly stood the test of time,
as Rebecca Erskine discovers.
Amodest green door belies the industrious activity within at the Old Corn Mill in Stoney Middleton. For it is where traditional bootmakers William Lennon have been quietly crafting their handmade leather boots for over 120 years.
Founder of the business William Lennon was, perhaps, an unlikely entrepreneur. Born in 1873, he was consigned to the Chorlton Workhouse in Manchester after losing both parents to Tuberculosis. At the age of 14, he was sent to join a front-room cobbler in Stoney Middleton, one of several in the village satisfying the demand for workers’ boots that were sturdy enough to meet the challenges of the local limestone quarries. Having honed his skills and confidence, the young apprentice went into business with two partners in 1897, before moving to the Old Corn Mill premises seven years later and striding out on his own as W.A. Lennon at the beginning of the First World War.
At the height of the industry in the 1890s, there were six factories in the village. By the end of the Second World War, only William’s business had survived. For today’s owners – William’s great-grandchildren Libs Slattery and Dan Walker – it is hard to imagine being anywhere else. Both now in their 50s, Dan joined the business straight after college and cousin Libs has been involved from her earliest memories: “As far back as primary school age, I’d be here pestering my grandad and great uncles Eb and Sid. Then through secondary school, I’d help in the office and in the sewing room. The business is quite simply in our blood so there was never any doubt that Dan and I would forge our careers here.”
The business has been largely untouched by the march of time. All eight members of staff live in either Stoney Middleton or Eyam, with the longest commute being Libs’ six miles from Tideswell. Having such local, long-serving staff is a responsibility Libs feels keenly: “The business has always been a real community. I have very fond memories of the older ladies from the village in our closing room, particularly Nana Pat whose 50 years of service continued into her late 70s. This is a business for local people and I’m proud that some of the staff who joined us as school leavers and now in their 50s, are still with us today.”
It is this small band of crafts folk who meticulously produce the 1,500 pairs of boots made to order each year, by hand but also using machinery dating back to the late 1800s. It is a process deserving both time and care. As Libs points out: “Leather is easily stressed and cannot be rushed.
“Our customers understand that a product made with such love and attention and to their specification is worth the five-month wait.”
The business offers a wide variety of boots, hill shoes and cycle shoes, with a notable quirk when it comes to the latter. “Interestingly, and for reasons unbeknown to us, the UK foot is a lot wider and fatter with a much higher in-step than its Italian counterpart!” explains Libs. Much of the business’s products are one-off, with the option for different shapes, leather, stitching and a choice of eight soles including hobnails and heavy duty Vibram. “We can always create something rather unique, even down to supplying a pair comprising one size 8 and one size 10 for an Irish gentleman who has ordered three pairs every year since my grandad’s day.”
International customers appreciate that ‘Made in Britain’ is synonymous with quality, with popularity in Japan being driven by nostalgic fashion and, in Scandinavia, by war enactment groups and the desire for hard-wearing and comfortable walking boots to last a lifetime. The boots have found fame in the WWI trench warfare scenes in ITV’s Downton Abbey, Disney’s Cruella and Phantom Thread with Daniel Day-Lewis. Appearances on Salvage Hunters and Escape to the Country over recent years has helped attract famous customers including gardener Monty Don, presenters Ant and Dec, Coronation Street actors, and, it is believed, American actor Brad Pitt. Eagle-eyed viewers of BBC’s Countryfile may have noticed that William Lennon has featured not once but twice in recent months; the second time, rather disturbingly, as part of a special edition on Yorkshire.
The business has an innate understanding of what works and, as such, feels little pressure to grow or compete. As Libs reflects: “It’s often been suggested to us that we move to more modern premises but why would we surrender to mass production whilst ever we have a unique product in such demand? Besides which, some of our machines have remained unmoved for over 100 years old. Our antique brass wire screwing machine, which we use to attach soles to uppers, is only one of four still in existence (we own a further two for spares). We’re certainly not going to upset her by uprooting her after so long!”
So, what of the future?
“90% of what we do today is treading the same path as my grandad, dad and great uncles, and that passion for well-made boots will always continue. I can still hear my dad’s response to talk of accreditations: ‘I’d rather have a good quality pair of boots to show for my efforts than a folder full of paperwork!’”
At the same time, Libs and Dan have added their own creative stamp to the business. “Whilst we pride ourselves on simple, pared-back boots, we’re very happy to break that mould if that’s what our customers want. Our floral-patterned ladies boot certainly fits that bill!”
As the country’s only surviving specialist heavy duty leather boot manufacturer, the business is living proof that there is still room for careful and considered tradition in a fast-paced consumer world.
• Pictures by Rebecca Erskine