Dr Martens Factory Tour - AirWair International Ltd, Wollaston, Northants, UK
Posted by: 
Dragontree
N 52° 15.465 W 000° 40.302
30U E 658908 N 5792260
An enjoyable, friendly and well-presented tour is offered round the Dr Martens factory here in Wollaston. We arranged for a group to visit this factory which had been in various forms in the area since early 1900s, but more latterly known from 1960s.
Waymark Code: WMBMZT
Location: East Midlands, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 06/04/2011
Views: 2
This long established Boot and Shoe Factory have Factory Tours on Thursday afternoons (by appointment only). We saw Docs being made and met some of the friendly employees. It was here at this factory that the first pair of 1460 boots were made; they were named after the date of production - 1st April 1960.
Tours can be booked by calling 01933 663281 or email: factorytour@drmartens.com. Groups of up to 8 people can be taken on any one tour. We learned the following information on our tour:
The Dr Martens Group almost broke up in 2005 and the company went off-shore with factories springing up around the globe. This facility remained as a small training operation and for the development of new lines. All the machine range was retained but now those operations have changed as the factory produces 'Made in Britain' items because of the demand. There are approximately 750 handmade pairs of boots/shoes produced weekly and this is likely to increase to 1000 by the end of 2011 and increase by another 50% in 2012, such is the interest in obtaining good quality handmade footwear with a good name and place of origin.
Our guides around the various production processes and Heritage displays were extremely helpful and friendly as were all the production craftsmen and women on the shop floor.
We saw how the moulds were created to form the soles and base of all the different styles of footwear and then how the soles were moulded from them. The next stage was seeing the complete hide being skilfully cut into all the various shapes that go to make up the footwear and leaving only a minimum of waste material.
This was followed by a variety of assembly processes as the different shapes were stitched, clipped, trimmed and welded together. Eyelets and label tag were also added and the distinctive sole edge pattern etched before the final packing and boxing of the product ready for marketing.
We then moved to the Heritage area and saw the history of the company unfold before our eyes with the aid of an informative guide, displays and photographs.
This is well worth a visit and we all came away much more informed about the industry and crafts and skills that go into making some of the famous Dr Martens footwear. They also have a nearby factory shop called the 'Doc Shop'.
There is a plaque on the factory which reads:
'Wollaston Parish Council
R Griggs & Co Ltd
Factory founded in 1901.
Makers of the world famous
Dr Martens Footwear
since 1960.
AD 2000'