Flamborough Marine Ltd

Welcome

Flamborough Marine commenced trading in 1981 with a stock of readily available machine-knitted sweaters of traditional design. As an antique shop was also run from the same premises we began to receive inquiries for “antique sweaters”, that is, the hand-knitted Ganseys which were once so much a feature of the fishing communities, but which had become generally unavailable. We contacted long- time resident of Flamborough, Nora Woodhouse, who knitted our first Ganseys (from memory) in several different North-East Coast patterns. From Nora’s Ganseys we were able to make charts of the patterns which, beforehand, had not normally been written down but, rather, were passed on by word of mouth. Our idea was two-fold. First to offer an outlet for the sale of Ganseys once we had recruited knitters; and second, to package a Kit containing the wool, needles, and our own charts so that the art of Gansey knitting could be spread even more widely and not limited to those within our immediate vicinity. We believe that we offer one of the very few outlets for the authentic finished product. Without this the art of Gansey knitting (for, although a craft, the work itself is so intricate as to be rightly called an art form) would again be in danger of disappearing.
Filey Gansey
Classic Heritage sweater hand-knitted in one piece  Ideal for sailing, boating, fishing, walking, riding, golf, shooting or any outdoor activity (or indoors if you want to turn the heating down) Home of the GANSEY
For authentic hand-knitted Ganseys, Gansey Knitting Kits, Armor Lux striped cotton Breton shirts and a range of traditional wool knitwear from Le Tricoteur (the original Guernseys) and Armor Lux of France
Filey Steps & Cables pattern in Falmouth Navy HOME
Flamborough Marine Limited : Traditional Knitwear & Hand-Knitted Ganseys The Manor House, Flamborough, Bridlington, East Riding of Yorkshire. YO15 1PD Telephone: 01262 850943    [International: +44 1262 850943] E-mail:  gm@flamboroughmarine.co.uk
Authentic hand-knitted Ganseys, Gansey Knitting Kits, striped cotton Breton shirts, traditional wool knitwear from Le Tricoteur (Guernseys) and Armor Lux of France
Sheringham pattern from Norfolk in Dark Navy Flamborough Gansey in Denim colour 5-ply wool Flamborough pattern variant A Scottish Fleet pattern Flamborough pattern in Herring Girl Pink
In addition to supplying Ganseys such as those above, we also sell Gansey Knitting Kits, to knit your own. Each Kit contains 5-ply worsted Guernsey wool, a set of five double-ended 2.5 mm steel needles, individual body and sleeve charts, and full instructions for the pattern of your choice. A copy of the fully illustrated soft-back book "Patterns for Guernseys, Jerseys & Arans" by Gladys Thompson is also available as an optional extra. Taking advantage of this, keen knitter Sheena Hall has produced a beautiful example of the striking Newbiggin pattern for her brother Paul, shown at left, using one of our Kits with dark navy 5-ply wool. Sheena notes that the Gansey was “a Labour of love. I really enjoyed making it for my brothers birthday and can’t wait to start one for myself ! Thank you for a great service.”
We offer an extended range of beautiful colours in 5-ply worsted Guernsey wool, including the unusually named “Herring Girl’s Pink”, shown at right in the Scarborough pattern, knitted by Melanie Jones, who kindly sent the photograph, taken on the ferry returning from the Isle of Jura.
A surprise was in store for David Wright when he visited our shop in Flamborough on Father's Day, accompanied by his daughters. Waiting for him was the Scarborough Gansey previously ordered and knitted by one of our skilled knitters. A thrilled Mr Wright  could not wait to try his Gansey on (complete with tag) and kindly consented for us to use the photograph at left.
Polperro Knit-Frock
While the majority of Gansey patterns are to be found in Yorkshire and the North-East of England, other patterns originate from Cornwall and East Anglia. Shown above is a beautiful Cornish Knit-frock in the Polperro design.
Seahouses Tree of Life
Seahouses “Tree of Life” pattern in “Heather” 5-ply wool
Humber Keel pattern in Navy Scarborough pattern in Dark Navy Hand-knitted Gansey-patterned Beany hats in a range of colours Hand-knitted Beany (Beanie)
Hand-knitted Gansey-patterned Beany hats in a range of colours : £50.00 each

Flamborough Head

One of the most prominent features on the East Coast of England, Flamborough Head juts out five miles into the North Sea. It is the most northerly chalk outcrop and the largest sea-bird breeding colony in England. The village, in the centre of the headland, is exposed on three sides to the sea and to the constant wind. It was to help protect against these elements that the Ganseys were first produced, hundreds of years ago. Then they were fashioned, as they still are today, by the knitters of Flamborough Marine, entirely in one piece using five steel needles. Bempton Cliffs at Flamborough Head, site of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds reserve. The chalk cliffs here are a sheer 300 feet drop into the North Sea.

Gansey Hats

Classic Filey Pattern Gansey in Dark Navy
Scarborough pattern in Claret wool Scarborough pattern in Claret wool
The popular Scarborough pattern can be knitted with either a classic ribbed welt (above) or, in the example shown at right, modelled by the delighted new owner, Chris Murdoch, outside our shop in Flamborough, with a split, straight, welt.
A variant of the Humber Keel pattern in Dark Navy
Web-site design & content Copyright © 2024 Geoffrey Miller
Gansey Knitting Kit Tricoteur Guernsey A specially-commissioned Gansey
Filey Steps & Cables pattern in Falmouth Navy
Sheringham pattern from Norfolk in Dark Navy
Flamborough pattern variant
A Scottish Fleet pattern
Flamborough pattern in Herring Girl Pink
Polperro Knit-Frock
A variant of the Humber Keel pattern in Dark Navy
Humber Keel pattern in Navy
Quick Links
Flamborough Head

Supremely comfortable due to the seamless construction

Flamborough Marine : The Manor House : Flamborough : Bridlington : East Riding of Yorkshire     Telephone 01262 850943

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Flamborough Gansey in Denim colour 5-ply wool
Another satisfied knitter is Bente Buch of Denmark, who recently e-mailed: “I have now with great pleasure knitted five of your ganseys for my family and want to send you a couple of pictures of three of them. The ganseys are much appreciated and worn frequently. Kind regards, Bente Buch, Elsinore, Denmark” Shown at right is one of the photographs kindly sent, showing the classic Flamborough and Filey patterns.
Gansey hats in the classic Flamborough pattern, knitted in 5-ply worsted wool, available either ready hand-knitted, or as a kit to knit yourself. Hand-knitted £50.00  Gansey Hat Kit (wool, needles, instructions) £25.00
We were first approached by Daniel Day-Lewis, after he had unearthed some photographs of his father, Cecil Day-Lewis, wearing a Gansey. An internet search brought him to the Flamborough Marine web-site where he was very much taken with this image (at left) on our site, of a proud Victorian Gansey-wearer in a classic pattern. One of our knitters was then able to replicate the pattern in a Gansey for him. So successful was this that a second Gansey was then commissioned by Sir Daniel, to match the one worn by his father. We were able to establish that his father’s Gansey was, in fact, not knitted in one piece, but we were again able to replicate the pattern (with a few alterations, such as the addition of a sleeve pattern) with the end result being a stunning Gansey which, it appears, has become one of his favourites.
The classic Staithes Gansey
The Greatest Sweater of a Generation?” - This was the opinion of ”Put This On” on-line magazine when images appeared of Sir Daniel Day-Lewis wearing his Staithes pattern Gansey, hand-knitted in one piece by one of our expert knitters.
Daniel Day-Lewis Daniel Day-Lewis Hand-knitted Beany (Beanie)
Don’t forget your Gansey hat to go with your Gansey! Available ready-knitted or in Kit form - please see below for details.
Flamborough and Filey Ganseys “The Greatest Sweater of a Generation?” ~ A Flamborough Marine Gansey
Sir Daniel Day-Lewis in his “Staithes” pattern Gansey hand-knitted by one of our expert knitters
Daniel Day-Lewis in his Flamborough Marine Gansey Daniel Day-Lewis in his Flamborough Marine Gansey
Sir Daniel Day-Lewis in his “Staithes” pattern Gansey hand-knitted by one of our expert knitters
PLEASE NOTE These are authentic hand-knitted Ganseys and NOT machine-knitted imitations

Ganseys shown on this page

Gansey Price List Size (inches/cm) 38" chest 97cm £470 40" chest 102cm £480 42" chest 107cm £490 44" chest 112cm £500 46" chest 117cm £510 48" chest 122cm £520 50" chest 127cm £540 Larger or smaller, please inquire  
Gansey Price List Size (inches/cm) 36" chest 92cm £460 38" chest 97cm £470 40" chest 102cm £480 42" chest 107cm £490 44" chest 112cm £500 46" chest 117cm £510 48" chest 122cm £520 50" chest 127cm £540 52" chest 132cm £560 54" chest 137cm £580 Larger or smaller, please inquire  
Flamborough Marine Ltd
Flamborough Marine The Manor House Flamborough Bridlington East Riding of Yorkshire Telephone 01262 850943
Home of the GANSEY Traditional sweater hand-knitted in one piece
Filey Steps & Cables pattern in Falmouth Navy Sheringham pattern from Norfolk in Dark Navy Flamborough Gansey in Denim colour 5-ply wool A Scottish Fleet pattern Flamborough pattern in Herring Girl Pink
We offer an extended range of beautiful colours in 5-ply worsted Guernsey wool, including the unusually named “Herring Girl’s Pink”, shown above in the Scarborough pattern, knitted by Melanie Jones,.
Polperro Knit-Frock
While the majority of Gansey patterns are to be found in Yorkshire and the North-East of England, other patterns originate from Cornwall and East Anglia. Shown above is a beautiful Cornish Knit-frock in the Polperro design.
Scarborough pattern in Dark Navy
Classic Filey Pattern Gansey in Dark Navy
The popular Scarborough pattern
A variant of the Humber Keel pattern in Dark Navy
Filey Steps & Cables pattern in Falmouth Navy
Flamborough Gansey in Denim colour 5-ply wool
Sheringham pattern from Norfolk in Dark Navy
A Scottish Fleet pattern
Flamborough pattern in Herring Girl Pink
A variant of the Humber Keel pattern in Dark Navy

Supremely comfortable due to the seamless construction

Ideal for sailing, boating, fishing, walking, golf, shooting or any outdoor activity (or indoors if you want to turn the heating down)
This is the mobile variant of our web-site, specially designed for viewing on smartphones, but lacking some of the more detailed information available on our full-size site.
Flamborough Marine Limited The Manor House Flamborough Bridlington East Riding of Yorkshire YO15 1PD United Kingdom Telephone: 01262 850943 International: +44 1262 850943 E-mail: gm@flamboroughmarine.co.uk
HOME Classic Filey Pattern Gansey in Dark Navy Daniel Day-Lewis Daniel Day-Lewis
Sir Daniel Day-Lewis in his “Staithes” pattern Gansey hand-knitted by one of our expert knitters
We were first approached by Daniel Day-Lewis, after he had unearthed some photographs of his father, Cecil Day-Lewis, wearing a Gansey. An internet search brought him to the Flamborough Marine web-site where he was very much taken with an image on our site, of a proud Victorian Gansey-wearer in a classic pattern. One of our knitters was then able to replicate the pattern in a Gansey for him. So successful was this that a second Gansey was then commissioned by Sir Daniel, to match the one worn by his father. We were able to establish that his father’s Gansey was, in fact, not knitted in one piece, but we were again able to replicate the pattern (with a few alterations, such as the addition of a sleeve pattern) with the end result being a stunning Gansey which, it appears, has become one of his favourites.
Daniel Day-Lewis in his Flamborough Marine Gansey Daniel Day-Lewis in his Flamborough Marine Gansey
Daniel Day-Lewis in his Flamborough Marine Gansey
PLEASE NOTE These are authentic hand-knitted Ganseys and NOT machine-knitted imitations
Gansey Price List Size (inches/cm) 36" chest 92cm £460 38" chest 97cm £470 40" chest 102cm £480 42" chest 107cm £490 44" chest 112cm £500 46" chest 117cm £510 48" chest 122cm £520 50" chest 127cm £540 52" chest 132cm £560 54" chest 137cm £580 Larger or smaller, please inquire