Fifty years of family-run stove expertise — from a single Jøtul brought home to a Wiltshire farmhouse in 1974, to the South West’s leading stove specialists today.
Dick and Mary Knight bought a Jøtul wood stove from Norway to heat their draughty farm house in 1974. At the time in England the concept of burning wood instead of coal was unheard of. They decided on the stove after seeing a leaflet which was written in Norwegian at the Royal Welsh show, where the family were showing their Hampshire Down sheep. The stove changed the feel of the house and made them enthuse to anyone and everyone as to how good the stove was.
The farmers weekly published an article in 1975 about a museum Dick had opened which at this time was unusual for farmers to have other ventures.
Reporters from the farmers weekly came to interview Dick and thawed out in front of the Jøtul stove. This then led to a picture in the magazine of Mary stoking the stove, explaining the efficiency compared to an open fire. This was the first wood stove article published in England. This picture led to a large number of enquiries (40 a day at its peak) and so they started supplying stoves to the public, despite the initial reluctance to go into retail.
More and more time was being spent selling stoves instead of farming and on the museum. The extra income meant the farm could be run traditionally without sprays and fertilizer to keep the fields as meadows with lots of wild flowers and the historical buildings could be left.
Gradually the business expanded and they started selling a couple of other leading manufacturers stoves, which are still sold today. Now 50 years on Dick’s son Henry runs the business, dealing with these established premier manufacturers and have the confidence that the products supplied will be a benefit to customers and give many years of reliable service.
More and more time was being spent selling stoves instead of farming and on the museum. The extra income meant the farm could be run traditionally without sprays and fertilizer to keep the fields as meadows with lots of wild flowers and the historical buildings could be left.
Gradually the business expanded and they started selling a couple of other leading manufacturers stoves, which are still sold today. Now 50 years on Dick’s son Henry runs the business, dealing with these established premier manufacturers and have the confidence that the products supplied will be a benefit to customers and give many years of reliable service.
Dick sadly passed away on the 20th of January 2024 at the age of 92. This was made more poignant as the company he founded in 1974 celebrated 50 years.
From one Norwegian stove in a farmhouse to over 100 stoves on live display.
Our showroom at Marshfield is the largest in the South West, stocking only the manufacturers we trust to serve customers for decades to come.
Richard and Mary Knight first saw Jøtul stoves at the Royal Welsh Show. They bought a No. 6 stove, fitted it at Castle Farm and found that it transformed the warmth of the farmhouse while solving the smoky open fire problem.
Farmers Weekly visited Castle Farm to cover Dick Knight’s museum. The reporters warmed up beside the Jøtul stove, which led to a photo of Mary stoking it and a wave of enquiries. At its peak, the family received around 40 enquiries a day.
Henry left school at 16 and joined the stove and farming business full time, having already helped during evenings and weekends.
After years of hands-on experience with the farm, showroom and stove work, Henry became a partner in the business.
When the Jøtul importer changed, the family made a clear decision to promote R W Knight & Son rather than rely on a single brand. The range expanded to include names such as Charnwood and Stovax.
Henry's experience fitting flues in show tents led to R W Knight & Son installing chimney systems for exhibitors at national stove shows. By 2003, the team installed 48 flue systems and 19 level floors for stands.
R W Knight & Son launched its first website, helping customers find showroom information, product ranges and contact details online.
The stove side of the business became a limited company, marking another step in its growth from farm-based sideline to established specialist business.
The business won several best trade stand awards, including Gatcombe Horse Trials, Berkeley Show and Bath & West Show.
Henry's daughter Miriam joined the business after studying business at university. R W Knight began to take a step back, while still checking in every day.
The family held an open day and celebration after 43 years in business. The event raised £5,882.82 for Mind, Great Western Air Ambulance and Macmillan through a raffle, auction and 10% of sales.
Lois and Henry received Charnwood awards for Best South West Dealer and the Golden Dog award for Best Overall Dealer.
R W Knight & Son purchased Jøtul Group Spares and became official UK stockists for Jøtul, Scan and Ild spares.
The Knight family celebrated 100 years of owning Castle Farm with a cake of the castle made by Richard's granddaughter, Lara.
R W Knight passed away in January 2024. That same year, the company he founded marked its 50th anniversary with an open weekend, a Jøtul cake, ice cream, and a fire-performer display.
R W Knight's grandson and Henry's nephew built the new Knight Stoves website, continuing the family story into the next generation.
A few clippings and photographs from across our fifty years in the trade.
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