William West Candles

William West Candles is based in the Cockpit, Eton, a 15th century timber-framed building, is the oldest building in the town. (Although currently due to renovation, candles are being made off site.) Candles have been made here since 1661, when the building was inhabited by the tallow chandler, William West, who started the candle making that we have now carried on in to the 21st Century. Original tallow candles were made from animal fat, but tallow candles weren’t very effective, they smelt bad and burnt too quickly. Thankfully things have modernized since then, all our Soy candles produced in The Cockpit are completely vegan friendly and cruelty free. All our Beeswax candles are sustainable. Each candle will fill your house with an irresistible scent with even our smallest candles burn time being 25+ hours. Although we have left the traditional tallow candle making behind, we have honored the past by creating our own stick candles with a traditional machine like it would have been done back when William West first stepped foot in The Cockpit. Each candle is lovingly handmade and scented with unique blends. Our scents are inspired by places in Eton and Windsor, bringing the rich history of Eton alive, allowing you to be transported back to the historic town with every use. As well as producing beautifully handmade candles from the heart of Eton, we also create our own gin and have a tavern onsite of The Cockpit. You can also learn how to make your very own William West candles with our candle making classes hosted in the newly renovated 15th century building. Currently the building is closed and candles are being made off site. Check out our stockists section to find out where to get candles from. The building is in a very poor state of repairs and needs extensive renovation, we are currently leading the project to repair it and all profits from the sale of the candles will be going towards this project.