Abstract.Relatively few negative Poisson's ratio (auxetic) composites have been manufactured and characterised and none with inherently auxetic phases. This paper presents the use of a novel double helix yarn that is shown to be auxetic, and an auxetic composite made from this yarn in a woven textile structure. This is the first reported composite to exhibit auxetic behaviour using inherently auxetic yarns. Importantly, both the yarn and the composite are produced using standard manufacturing techniques and are therefore potentially useful in a wide range of engineering applications.