THE LEDGER: YOUR MASTER SOURCING LIST
For deep-dive journals of UK-makers, visit Maker Profiles. Here in The Master Ledger you’ll find our ever-expanding directory of UK makers with details on their origins, products and more.
These are short-form entries - distilled intelligence on heritage, provenance and why these brands deserve a place in your collection.
HUNTER & HYLAND – Leatherhead, Surrey, England
The Heritage: The first records of Richard Hunter and Lambert Hyland crafting drapery hardware in central London date back to 1889. Today, operating from their workshop in Leatherhead, Surrey, the company remains one of the UK’s oldest and most respected manufacturers of bespoke curtain poles, blinds, stair-ropes and rods. tassels and tracks. Their unwavering commitment to traditional domestic craftsmanship is officially recognised by both the Made in Britain marque and a prestigious Royal Warrant.
The Verdict: Hunter & Hyland provides the ultimate bespoke solution across multiple high-end materials: solid brass, sustainably sourced wood and modern acrylic. Their master craftsmen can manufacture a flawless, made-to-measure solution for virtually any architectural challenge, excelling in creating custom-angled and swept poles for complex dormer and bay windows. Their finishing options are extraordinary, offering everything from 14 distinct brass platings to bespoke paint-matching using Farrow & Ball colours as standard.
Core Products: Bespoke made-to-measure curtain poles (ranging from delicate 9mm brass to grand 76mm wooden profiles), custom-bent bay window poles, hand-crafted finials, roman blinds, curtain tassels stair-ropes and rods and heavy-duty motorised or corded drapery tracks.
COPE & TIMMINS – Kirkbymoorside, North Yorkshire, England
The Heritage: The origins of Cope & Timmins stretch all the way back to 1760, when they first began trading as brass founders in Birmingham. After evolving through centuries of UK manufacturing, from producing brass railway curtain rods in the 1890s to blackout curtain tracks during the Second World War, the company was awarded a Royal Warrant by H.M. Queen Elizabeth II in 1956. Following an administration and restructuring in 2009, the brand was rescued and eventually relocated to Kirkbymoorside, North Yorkshire in 2015. Today, they have returned to their artisan roots with a dedicated in-house woodworking and finishing workshop.
The Verdict: Cope & Timmins is a prime example of a historic UK brand surviving by doubling down on niche craftsmanship. Today, they specialise entirely in handcrafted, made-to-order wooden curtain poles and related fittings. Rather than mass-producing generic, extendable metal tubes, each pole is turned, finished and cut to measure in their Yorkshire workshop using sustainably sourced timber. They offer an genuinely personal service, providing unfinished wood for custom interior projects alongside an extensive range of bespoke painted finishes and classic wood stains. It is true, architectural-grade window dressing made the traditional way.
Core Products: Made-to-measure solid wooden curtain poles (in 40mm and 50mm diameters), bespoke painted poles, natural oak poles, wooden draw rods and matching wooden curtain rings, brackets and holdbacks.
