The yarn winder on permanent display in Diss Museum dates from the late 18th or early 19th century. The British colonisation of India led to the import of coir, a fibre from the rough exterior shells of coconuts. This was woven into mats which were used to create a nonslip surface on ships.  It was soon realised that the fibres also made durable weatherproof mats for use on doorsteps and inside the home.

 

The Diss yarn winder was employed in the matting department of Aldrich Bros. It may also have been used by a Diss weaver years before the opening of the first Aldrich Bros workshop in 1831.

 

The yarn winder is 180cm high. It consists of a vertical wooden frame set on a base plate, resting on four bun feet. The frame is slotted to receive two horizontally mounted spool frames held in pace by wooden nuts. The spools are constructed from two discs separated by a number of wooden dowels.