Robert Noble

Our Mill

Designing a fabric on paper involves one special set of skills. Taking that design off the page and making it into a fabric another entirely. Here in our mill, our skilled technicians follow a painstaking process that relies upon a combination of traditional techniques and modern machinery to deliver the luxurious cloths for which Robert Noble is renowned.

The Process Read More
The Process

The initial process in manufacturing is sorting  – or classifying – the different parts of the wool fleece according to fibre length, fineness, elasticity and soundness of staple, a process carried out by skilled wool sorters....

Modern Machinery Read More
Modern Machinery

At Robert Noble, the looms never stay still for long. And neither do we. Although we’ve occupied the same space for more than a century, the mill we operate today looks dramatically different to the one that opened in 1884.

History & Site of the Mill Read More
History & Site of the Mill

Robert Noble was originally established in Galashiels under the name of David Ballantyne during the same year as the Great Fire of London in 1666. However, it wasn’t until more than 200 years later that the seeds of the business we know today were sown. 

The Archive Read More
The Archive

Robert Noble’s rich heritage doesn’t just make for a good read. It has practical advantages for our customers too. Fabric designs and qualities made by our mill from the early 1800s onwards are held in an archive, providing an invaluable source of inspiration for designers.