Botanical Colour — The Redpath Way

Botanical Colour – The Redpath Way is a community art and heritage project led by artist Abi Makepeace, created in tribute to the late Margaret and David Redpath — a pioneering couple in the field of natural dyeing and former owners of Wallis Woollen Mill in Pembrokeshire. By working directly with their archive and recreating over 100 of their original dye recipes, the project celebrates the Redpaths’ remarkable contribution to Wales’ botanical dye and textile heritage. It also seeks to explore the ongoing cultural, environmental, and artistic relevance of plant-based dyeing practices today.

Rooted in Pembrokeshire, this community-led initiative invites people of all ages and backgrounds to take part through hands-on workshops, oral history recording, dye garden creation, and heritage education in schools.

The project is delivered in partnership with the National Botanic Gardens of Wales, People’s Collection Wales, and the National Library of Wales, alongside local collaborators including Span Arts, Tenby Museum, Narberth Museum, VC Saint Florence School, Cilrath Acre, and Pencoed Community Garden.

Calendar of Events

Phase 1: June – October 2025

  • Volunteer sessions to recreate and document natural dye recipes using foraged and localised plants

  • Development of an oral history archive about the Redpaths and Wallis Woollen Mill

  • Free community botanical dye workshops and wellbeing activities for social prescribing groups

  • Launch of dye gardens at Pencoed Community Garden and VC Saint Florence School

  • Schools programme engaging all pupils at VC Saint Florence School with heritage and plant dyeing

  • Research into rare dye plants at the National Botanic Garden of Wales Herbarium

  • Creation of a textile garden featuring endangered dye species at the National Botanic Gardens

Phase 2: November 2025 – May 2026

  • A series of academic talks on Welsh and global dye history (in collaboration with National Botanic Gardens of Wales)

  • Ongoing community workshops and wellbeing activities

  • Development of a dedicated website sharing the Redpaths’ dye recipes, swatches and learnings

  • Exhibitions at Tenby Museum and the National Botanic Gardens of Wales

  • Publication of a project book sharing the story of the Redpaths and themes uncovered through research

  • Educational learning resources published on Hwb and People’s Collection Wales

  • Archival material accessioned into the National Library of Wales, the National Museum of Wales, and People’s Collection Wales

Get Involved

We are looking for volunteers to support a range of creative and hands-on activities taking place across Pembrokeshire.

Ways You Can Contribute

There are lots of different ways to get involved, including:

  • Foraging for local plants used in natural dyeing

  • Creating dye and colour swatches using traditional recipes

  • Growing and maintaining dye gardens at Pencoed Community Garden (near Lawrenny and Cilrath Acre (near Narberth)

  • Digitising the archive of Margaret and David Redpath

  • Recording oral histories for a community archive to be held by the National Library of Wales and shared online through People’s Collection Wales

No prior experience is necessary — just curiosity and enthusiasm. We welcome volunteers of all ages and backgrounds.

Stay Connected

We run regular gardening sessions at Pencoed Community Garden and a full calendar of natural dyeing workshops throughout the summer. It's a great way to learn, meet others, and contribute to a growing community project. We are also posting on our instagram updates on the project.

Interested?

For more information or to express your interest, please contact our volunteer coordinator, Daisy:
redpath.coordinator@gmail.com

We’d love to have you involved.

Background: Margaret & David Redpath

Margaret and David Redpath were central figures in the revival of textile and natural dyeing practices in Wales during the late 20th century. Together, they ran Wallis Woollen Mill, where they developed and refined an extensive collection of natural dye recipes, experimenting with both native and non-native plants. Known for their innovation and methodical, scientific approach, the Redpaths made a lasting contribution to plant-based colour research and textile heritage.

Artist Abi Makepeace met Margaret through her own natural dye practice and proposed a collaborative project to celebrate Margaret and David’s life’s work. While David had passed away some years earlier, Margaret, then in her nineties, was enthusiastic about the idea and generously offered access to their archive. She passed away during the planning stage of the project.

Their knowledge lives on through meticulously recorded recipes, dye notebooks, swatches, and plant experiments gathered over decades. The aim of this project is to preserve, interpret, and share that extraordinary body of work with the wider community.

Respected internationally within natural dyeing circles, Margaret and David were known not only for their expertise, but for their generosity, kindness, and the strong social and environmental values that guided their work. It is a privilege to honour and continue their legacy.

With thanks to :