Founded in 1867, Clayton’s Woollen Mills produced rugs, tweeds, & blankets. The extensive archives of Clayton Mills Ltd. preserve the stories of skilled technicians, loom tuners, weavers, warp winders, & dye specialists, as well as those related to national & international trade.

These documents provide invaluable insights into Ireland's industrial heritage, as well as to the town of Navan itself, where Clayton’s employed over 250 people. Now, an archival project to conserve, list, & make available the records of the Clayton Woollen Mills is underway.

Meath County Archive have used the Creative Ireland scheme to fund the position of a temporary archivist to catalogue the archive to professional standard. The Clayton Woollen Mills collection comprises of 189 bound volumes & 135 boxes of archival material, dating from 1888 to 1969. To date, 83 boxes have been fully catalogued. The collection also includes advertising cards & a substantial quantity of Clayton’s fabric samples which are attached to various documents.  

Creative Ireland funding has allowed momentum & interest in the collection to build. We hope to feature Clayton’s Woollen Mills archival records in our online catalogue which will be launching in 2026. This project has the potential to open up the collection & allow researchers the opportunity to engage with their heritage. We hope to continue work on this collection until the entirety of Clayton’s records are catalogued, accessible & preserved for future generations.

Please note that the details of events listed above are provided by the relevant Local Authorities.