Arthur Beale woollen set: Beerenberg, Beanie & Scarf

Arthur Beale have a totally unique history. We have been in business for at least four hundred years. In those days England was abundant with fields of flax from which we made ropes and twines. Our Alpine Club Rope became world famous and was used on the early Everest attempts by Eric Shipton, H.W.Bill Tilman and Tenzing Norgay. We also supplied Polar Explorers such as Sir Ernest Shackleton and Gino Watkins. Today we still supply Arctic Explorers with sailing equipment and clothing. Wool’s unique insulating properties make it the preferred choice of many Polar expeditions.

By buying from Arthur Beale you are helping a rare independent company continue to survive..

You won’t meet many people wearing the same pullover so why not say hello when you do. You may be navigating through Havengore Creek, anchored in a remote fjord in Svalbard or walking in the Brecon Beacons. You’ll have something in common, we are sure of that.

We would love to see some pictures of your adventures. Please feel free to send us a photo with your pullover’s serial number and each year we will send a gift to the best one.

Open our care guide here

As this pullover contains natural lanolins which help it to resist water it is best to wash it as little as possible and since our pullovers are made from unprocessed wool, they don't hold sweat like man-made fibres so they naturally rarely need laundering as they will stay fresher longer. The lanolin provides the pullover with a fresh wool smell. Traditionally woollen pullovers would be protected from dirt while fishing or working onboard by wearing a simple canvas smock. Arthur Beale stock a range of natural canvas smocks. Over time however you may need to clean your pullover and we recommend the following method.

a) Wash in tepid (30°C) water – hot water will lead to shrinkage. Use a liquid soap such as Arthur Beale’s Woolly Wash or a 2 in 1 hair shampoo with conditioner. Immerse the pullover and gently swish and agitate by hand. Leave to soak for 5 - 10 minutes then ball up the pullover and squeeze out the water. Refill with fresh water and repeat until the water is clear when squeezing out.

b) Never wring or stretch wool when wet – this will cause the pullover to become misshapen due to the elasticity of natural wool. Just lay the pullover on a clean towel and roll them tightly together to remove the excess moisture without stretching it.

c) Dry the pullover flat – do not use the tumble dryer or the pullover will shrink radically. You can buy special mesh trays to help the air flow. Reshape the pullover whilst it is damp, squaring off the shoulders and the welt (waist) A good way to freshen a pullover between washes is to gently steam/press it with an iron on the wool or steam setting.