History of Woad

Woad has been grown in Europe since the Stone Age and has a long association with East Anglia, notably with Boudicca and the Iceni tribe who used woad to colour their faces before going into battle. Further north the Picts also gained notoriety for their body painting with the blue woad dye. The Romans referred to these Ancient Britons as Picts as it is Celtic for "painted".

Production of woad in England declined because of imported indigo from South East Asia and the development of synthetic indigo, which was cheaper to create. Consequently the last woad mill in Lincolnshire closed in 1932.

A very good booklet entitled "The History of Woad and the Medieval Woad Vat" by John Edmonds is an enlightening read.

For more information about woad, please see our Additional Resources page.