Lea Mills:
Our home since 1784
John Smedley was founded in 1784, at Lea Mills, in Matlock, Derbyshire by John Smedley and his associate Peter Nightingale. Inspired by Richard Arkwright who had pioneered the factory system 13 years earlier, the pair set about building a spinning mill. Lea Mills was an ideal setting - the brook that runs through the village provided motive power and a constant source of running water.
225 years later, John Smedley is still at Lea Mills. The area is now a world heritage site and 'an area of outstanding beauty'. It's our home and part of what makes us unique as makers of fine-gauge knitwear.
Left: Our Mill pond
Right: Views of our mill
Made at Lea Mills
We strive to create all John Smedley garments in England at our factory in Lea Mills, Derbyshire. We believe our exceptional, Derbyshire location is a vital part of John Smedley's brand and culture.
What we have at Lea Mills is a valuable community that is part of us as much as we are part of it. It's a certain spirit, a sense of working together to make something special, but it's a tangible community too.
John Smedley has a long lineage of local families who have worked at Lea Mills over several generations. They bring years of experience and a level of craftsmanship that can't be found elsewhere.
At John Smedley we take pride in creating knitwear that is made in England. We also take pride in our Derbyshire roots - our Lea Mills factory and the people who help make us who we are.