The company was founded by the Dartington Hall Trust, a charity that then aimed to assist the economic regeneration of rural areas through business, education and the arts.

In the early 1960s, the trust became concerned that North Devon was becoming depopulated as a lack of job opportunities forced people to move elsewhere to find work.

The glass-making factory was intended to be a solution to the problem, conceived as a center of employment giving local people a reason to stay in the area.

On the recommendation of Frank Thrower, a ceramic salesman and self-taught glassware designer, the trust recruited Eskil Vilhemson, a Swedish glass manufacturer, to be the company's managing director.

In 1989 The Dartington Hall Trust sold a controlling interest to the Rockware Group, whose investment in the business allowed a modern batch mixing plant and new retail shop to be built.

[3] Today Dartington Crystal is the major private employer in Torrington and surrounding rural areas, which is very important to the South West and UK economy.