Re ecting on Dartington
The last remaining factory-scale crystal and glassworks in the country, 50-year-old Dartington Crystal remains at the cutting edge of creative glass, while representing a precious heritage of technique and skill
We explore the 50-year history of Dartington Crystal, the last remaining factory- scale crystal works in Britain
Over the last 50 years, Dartington Crystal has become a household name, respected and admired for its contemporary yet classic creations. It is also one of north Devon’s most important employers, and that was exactly the goal of its founders back in the mid 1960s. ‘ It was originally a social enterprise, started by the Dartington Hall Trust,’ explains Richard Halliday, commercial director at Dartington. ‘ They had a record of starting rural, craftbased industries.’ The Trust had already transformed much of south Devon with such initiatives, before turning its e orts to the north of the county, where unemployment was a growing concern.
The Trust called upon one artistic contact to spearhead the project: Frank Thrower. He was a designer working with Portmeirion Pottery, creating glassware for import in Sweden. ‘Frank loved the Scandinavian design style,’ explains Hilary Green, Dartington’s head of design. ‘He wanted to carry on that ethos [in Devon] – simple clean lines, beautiful, functional shapes – because there was nothing like that being made here at the time. The only other British glass then was traditional cut crystal.’
There was, however, a small problem. No one in Devon knew how to make glass the Scandinavian way. The solution was bold: 16 skilled glass-blowers were brought over from Sweden to teach the locals their craft. With a workforce of 35, including the 16 Swedes, the Torrington factory opened in 1967. The first few years were tough: ‘I think questions were asked about how viable the enterprise was,’ Halliday reveals. ‘ The breakthrough came when pieces got into stores like Harrods.’ Other early stockists included Heal’s and John Lewis. Frank was undoubtedly the driving force of this success. ‘He was a very good frontman and through his e orts we became, in the early 1970s, the new kid on the block.’
It wasn’t only his influence on the market that made Frank so vital. He was also the brand’s sole designer for
The range tends to be incredibly simple in form. The pieces are ergonomic and practical as well as beautiful
20 years. Many of his designs are now iconic – especially his 1971 ‘ Sharon’ collection. In 1985, The Boilerhouse Project, a gallery founded by the Conran Foundation and based in the V& A, voted the ‘ Sharon’ champagne flute among the 100 all-time best product designs, alongside such classic creations as the Concorde and the Mini. And what is it about Dartington design that made it so noteworthy? ‘ It’s staying true to our roots,’ believes Green. Because of its Scandinavian origins, ‘the range tends to be incredibly simple in form… the pieces are ergonomic and practical, as well as beautiful.’
The 1980s were boom years for Dartington. In 1982, the Trust ended its control of the company, and the factory reached its peak a few years later, when it had a sta of some 300. But that was about to change.
‘ The sector has su ered huge problems over the last 30 years,’ explains Dartington’s managing director, Neil Hughes. ‘ The fact is that Dartington is the country’s only remaining glass manufacturer of a factory scale – that tells you how di cult the industry has been. And we, like all those
While other factories mechanised and moved overseas, Dartington continued to hand- make products in Torrington
others who have now gone, found life very hard.’
Through the challenges, Dartington clung to its values. While other factories mechanised and moved overseas to cut costs, Dartington continued to handmake its products in Torrington. To reduce their dependency on high street sales, the team sought out corporate and commissioned work, which they continue today with countless luxury brands, including Chivas Regal whisky and British Airways First.
In 1988, the brand changed from Dartington Glass to Dartington Crystal. The new name helped raise its profile, while the material, which it had begun to produce in 1982, gave the designers more scope. ‘Lead crystal is, in some ways, more versatile,’ explains Green. ‘You can do elegant hollow handles and create intricate working.’
The Torrington crystal works has found its stride in recent years. Since 2010, its annual sales have doubled to £12m and, with 130 sta , it remains a key employer in north Devon. It has returned to the intentions of its founders, and has begun to foster the next generation of glass-blowers by taking on two young trainees a year. The desires of its first designer have not been forgotten either. The pared-back elegance of Green’s ‘Celebrate’ collection, launched for the anniversary, remains true to the brand’s design ethos, with subtle celebratory touches in its flared shape and gold rim. The new range is just one element of the company’s plans for its anniversary. June will see a huge party in Torrington to unite employees old and new, plus, they hope, an appearance from a special dignitary.
Once the summer celebrations are over, the team will get back to securing Dartington’s future. While management will be looking at export and corporate clients, the design team will be focussing primarily on two areas: colourful collections and gin glasses. ‘ We basically want to put the blocks in place to be around for another 50 years,’ says Halliday. We’ll drink to that!