We brought the Herbert Parkinson textile factory in Darwen, Lancashire, into the John Lewis Partnership in 1953, and ever since it’s been a thriving example of UK design, quality and craftsmanship, with Partners investing pride back into the business they own.
Combining the best of modern technology and traditional skills, those Partners make many of our own brand soft furnishings, duvets and pillows, and all of our Made to Measure Express 7-14 day service curtains, cushions, roman and roller blinds. They make customised duvets too.
Herbert Parkinson is a significant workplace in the local community with over 250 Partners working there. It's also a family affair, with over a quarter of Partners having a relative as a colleague. Our longest-serving Partner has 40 years of service.
We work very closely with the local High School, as part of the business and education Careers and Enterprise Advisor Network. We arrange visits to our factory and have regular meetings with the students.
We’ve made significant investment in training and apprenticeships at Herbert Parkinson, and in the latest equipment to ensure that Partners can produce work of the highest possible standard.
Our Partners take great pride in their work. When you receive your order, you’ll find a card inside telling you who made and checked your curtains, blind, pillow or duvet.
Curtains & Blinds
Curtains and blinds custom-made to your measurements are ready in 7-14 days. There’s an extensive choice of hundreds of fabrics to make curtains, roman and roller blinds, in a range that’s updated twice a year.
We offer five lining choices of different weights, types and colours, and several heading types, including eyelet curtains and pinch pleats. The latest curtain-making technology ensures accuracy and quality, and can make curtains up to 4m wide and 3m long.
Quality in the detail is key. Our Partners hand-pin curtains ready for sewing, attach linings, then blind stitch hems and sides. We mitre corners and weight hems for better drape, and also make co-ordinating tie-backs and cushions.
We also make many bespoke curtains to order - highly skilled Partners hand-craft these from a selection of beautiful fabrics.
We ensure everything is carefully inspected throughout the make up process to make sure it matches the order, with a final quality inspection before your order is despatched to your door.
DUVETS & PILLOWS
Our experienced team of Partners at Herbert Parkinson, make many of the natural-filled duvets and pillows sold in our shops, and they also custom-make duvets to your specifications.
Our ranges
All Herbert Parkinson products are labelled with DOWNPASS, this guarantees high quality and the certainty that down and feathers used as filling material are ethically sourced and come from tightly controlled and traceable supply chains. In addition, the quality of all products is monitored by independent testing institutes.
The down that’s used has a high level of fill power - the higher the fill power, the less down is needed to achieve the required tog rating because it traps more air to keep you warm, making your duvet beautifully light in weight.
We also use the best quality fabric for the casings. It’s made with baffle box construction for an even spread of down across the duvet, and to help filling stay in place so you don’t get cold spots. We also ensure all our casings are Nomite™. This allows people with dust mite allergies to enjoy natural bedding as fillings are sealed in a tightly woven fabric cover which will act as a barrier against dust mites.
My Story
We are including digital product passports on a limited collection of duvets and pillows. Scan the QR code on your care label to learn more about the product story and how to look after your bedding. Caring for your product helps to extend its lifespan and reduce environmental footprint
How to look after your bedding
Care
We recommend that you have your natural-filled duvets and pillows professionally laundered as they need to be thoroughly dried, which may be difficult for you to achieve at home.
- Shake clumped down loose by hand, or put it in a dryer with a damp towel to create airiness without sacrificing fill power
- When shaking your duvet we recommend shaking from the side and not from top to bottom, as this can help prevent the down moving between the sections in your duvet.
- TIP- Plump all pillows up daily
Washing
All our pillows can be laundered in a large capacity machine (wash just one at a time);
- Pillows have a more limited lifespan than duvets because of the weight of our heads, which flattens them over time and deteriorates the level of support
- Natural pillows will keep their shape and level of support for longer than synthetic
Made to Order
At the moment our made-to-order duvets are available to order in-store only. Our experienced team of Partners at Herbert Parkinson make many of the natural-filled duvets and pillows sold in our shops, and they also custom-make duvets to your specifications.
We can custom make duvets up to a 13.5 tog rating (the higher the tog, the warmer the duvet), and in a size to suit your specification. We can even make a duvet with a different tog rating on either side, for a couple who like differing levels of warmth. We also make a range of pillows with differing levels of firmness to suit every sleep preference.
DUAL TOG
Our bespoke dual-tog duvets are designed for different sleeping preferences. Whether you usually feel warm or cool during the night, its innovative design places a different tog rating on each side of the duvet, which is filled with highly insulating down of your choice and a small percentage of feathers.
It is soft, luxurious and drapes cosily around your body. And thanks to its Nomite™ mark, it's suitable for people with dust-mite allergies. These are available on Hungarian and British Goose Down.
TOASTY TOES
This bespoke duvet is designed to keep your feet warm at night thanks to a higher tog rating in its lower panels. Just like our dual-tog duvets, it’s filled with highly insulating yet luxuriously light Hungarian goose down, plus a small percentage of feathers. It also bears the NomiteTM mark meaning it’s suitable for people with dust-mite allergies.
We know the importance of a great night’s sleep. That’s why our Partners are here to offer free, impartial advice to help you sleep well and feel fully rested, day after day.
You can book a free 1:1 virtual or in-store appointment with an experienced Partner to discuss your sleep needs and preferences.