The Yorkshire Film Archive collects, preserves, and shows film made in, or about Yorkshire. Our collections are non-fiction, dating from the 1890s to the present day, and providing a rich and visually compelling record of all aspects of lives, cultures, landscape, industries, major events and everyday activities, many of which are available to watch, free of charge, on our website.
This film is part of Free

The Rug Maker
A simple film for the not so simple Yorkshire craft of making a rug, revealing how to “roll up yan side, push in frame ens wi aal holes, stretch tight and hod it wit end poles.”
From the collection of:

Overview
An old craft of making handmade rugs, in danger of dying out, is here demonstrated by a seasoned practitioner from Buckden, in Upper Wharfedale, in 1981. Mrs Beresford expertly takes us from the cutting of the pieces, through to the finished article, filmed in real time, and smoking a cigarette the whole while.
This film was made by George Younger and David Dean, and is one of a collection of films from Upper Wharfedale which feature local places and people, such as Jackie Beresford, the accordion player. Mrs Margaret Beresford, who lived at Rowan Cottage in Buckden, wrote down a poem titled ‘Rug Maker’ in a North Yorkshire dialect which nicely accompanies the film. The first verse is, “Me oud rug is worn oot, anither al mak; al git cracking wit shears, rip snip intav sack; neu it takes me a week to cut enough clips; opnin seams an all, an cutting lang strips”. The second starts, “Thars a bit au Jacks coit, an Pete an Herbs trews.”
Related

Wharfedale Wharfedale
Home movie 1956 14 mins Silent Location: Ilkley
Young hikers take to the hills in the time of motorcycles and sidecars, Morris dancers are still a novelty, and children balance barefoot over the stepping stones at Bolton Abbey.

New Perspectives: Fish Tank New Perspectives: Fish Tank
Short documentary 2025 4 mins
Adam Smith of Northumbria University explains why Andrea Arnold's coming-of-age story, about a girl who uses dance to escape, is his favourite film on BFI Player.

New Perspectives: Pusher New Perspectives: Pusher
Short documentary 2025 5 mins
Noah Ball of Northumbria University explains why you should seize the chance to watch Nicolas Winding Refn's debut.

Twin Peaks star Kyle MacLachlan on working with David Lynch - Q&A Twin Peaks star Kyle MacLachlan on working with David Lynch - Q&A
Inside Film 2025 38 mins
Kyle MacLachlan talks to BFI CEO Ben Roberts about working with David Lynch on the legendary series Twin Peaks.

On Falling - Exclusive Q&A On Falling - Exclusive Q&A
Inside Film 2025 30 mins
Writer-director Laura Carreira talks to Nia Childs about her debut feature, On Falling.

Layla - Exclusive Q&A Layla - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2025 27 mins
Writer, director and performer Amrou Al-Kadhi talks to Rico Johnson-Sinclair about their debut feature.

All We Imagine As Light - Exclusive Q&A All We Imagine As Light - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2025 28 mins
Payal Kapadia discusses her Cannes prize-winning and Bafta-nominated drama with Ashanti Omkar.