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.
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
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
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.
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” pattern in “Heather” 5-ply wool
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
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.
Web-site design & content Copyright © 2024 Geoffrey Miller
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
Supremely comfortable due to the seamless construction
Flamborough Marine : The Manor House : Flamborough : Bridlington : East Riding of Yorkshire Telephone 01262 850943
If your browser indicates that this site is not secure, please click HERE to go to the secure version.
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 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.
Don’t forget your Gansey hat to go
with your Gansey!
Available ready-knitted or in Kit form
- please see below for details.
Sir Daniel Day-Lewis in his “Staithes” pattern Gansey
hand-knitted by one of our expert knitters
Sir Daniel Day-Lewis in his “Staithes” pattern Gansey
hand-knitted by one of our expert knitters
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