The inspiration for Lily Warne Wool derives from my great-great-grandmother, ‘Lily Warne’. She was a sheep farmer at the turn of the 20th Century, outside Chagford in Devon. She not only bred these wonderful sheep, but turned the fleeces into wonderful garments. We can trace our family connections through the towns and villages on Dartmoor for over a hundred years.

100 years of Dartmoor History

“Our family has long been rooted in the history of Dartmoor for hundreds of years. Lily Warne wool herself farmed both at Bellever and then Chagford – both areas being located in the heart of Dartmoor surrounded by the high moor. Many hours have been spent listening to the fascinating stories and old wives tales my grandmother would tell me about the moor ranging from the famous story of Kitty Jay through to the story passed down through the family from Lily herself about her farmhouse being the victim of a robbery by an escaped Dartmoor Prison convict who stole the clothes that were drying on the range in the kitchen as Lily and her husband slept upstairs after a hard day gathering sheep from the high moor.”

Paula Steer

The Next Lily Warne Generation

“We are proud to continue to live and work in this wonderful part of Devon surrounded by our extended family and wonderful friends all of whom have helped us make Lily Warne Wool what it is today. We are delighted to be able to have a positive impact on not just the local farming community but also the wider local community as Lily Warne Wool grows day by day to provide more employment and income for the local area and shepherds as well as showcasing this beautiful area we are proud to call home to the nation through our frequent media appearances. We wish Lily could be here to share our journey in person but we are sure she would be very proud.”

Lewis Steer

The first photo below picture shows five generations of our family. They are five-month-old Barry Holmes (my father), his mother Mrs Kathleen Holmes, his grandmother Mrs Elsie Eva, his great-grandmother Mrs Lily Warne and his great-great-grandmother Mrs Badcock