Westley Richards was founded in Birmingham in 1812 by William Westley Richards, who built the business making rifles and shotguns for the British military and became known for innovations including an early flip-up rifle sight. The Richards family ran the company until Walter Clode bought it in 1957, and in 2009 it expanded beyond gunmaking into leather goods and country clothing. Its current range includes field jackets, tweed, and knitwear alongside a leather goods line made from buffalo hide and suede.