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News: Guilds Together, this October

Our local Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers are an essential part of our Open Days. This October, there’s a chance to see a more in-depth look at the world of these historical crafts:

GUILDS TOGETHER: An exhibition of work by the Guilds of Weavers Spinners and Dyers

On 1 October 2016 the Guilds of Coventry, Birmingham, Cotswolds, Worcester and Stratford are organising an exhibition of work based around the four seasons and Easter. There will also be the opportunity to hear two speakers: Betsan Corkhill, who will be talking about the therapeutic benefits of knitting and crafts and Felicity Ford, who will speak about unique design in colour-stranded work. In addition there will sales of craft related items, a book stall and raffle.

All refreshments are included in the £17 entrance fee, tickets are available in advance for collection on the door. The event takes place at Millennium Memorial Hall, Kings Sutton, Banbury, OX17 3PG. For more info please email e-mail tjspritt95@btinternet.com

Guilds Together poster

August 5, 2016
Join our Gardening Volunteers

Our gardens are looking lovely at the moment, thanks to a mix of sun and rain, and most importantly, hard work by our fantastic gardening team.

The gardens at The Weaver’s House form an important part of the project and are maintained by volunteers. We are looking to recruit some additional members to the current gardening team. As well as the regular gardening days there is also the option for volunteers to donate their time as and when is convenient to them.

The Weaver’s Garden really is a little patch of tranquillity despite its closeness to the city centre – would you like escape back to Tudor times and enjoy a few hours in this special garden whilst helping maintain this historic property?

To become a ‘Tudor gardener’ please contact The Weaver’s House on 024 7625 7117 or email info@theweavershouse.org – no experience required.

The next Gardening Day is this Saturday, 6 August, from 10am-12. If you’d like to pop along, do drop us a line.

August 1, 2016
News: Weavers’ Workshop & One Thousand Years of Coventry History

This photograph shows a panel which has been produced by the Weavers’ Workshop as part of eleven panels celebrating 1,000 years of Coventry’s history. The entire work will be paraded in the city on September 9 this year, further details to be announced.

Peggy Finch, who is chair of the Weavers’ Workshop, kindly supplied the following info on how this fantastically detailed panel was created:

This piece of work demonstrates the process of weaving from fleece to this completed panel. It has been designed and executed by all of the members of the Weavers’ Workshop.

This is a short explanation of the methods and techniques used:

The fleece at the top of the panel is spun using a drop spindle, the yarn is then dyed using the woad plant (Isatis Tinctoria), which produces the natural colour “Coventry Blue” from the leaves. The embroidery shows how the plant appears in the Weavers’ House garden.

The squares have been made by using a pin loom.

The Weaver’s House depicted is an fine example of tapestry weaving. This was created by Beryl van Wijgerden. The gardens have been woven using weaving sticks and enhanced with blue stitches. The paths were created by using a lucet weaving and braiding tool. Crochet was the technique used to make the hens and twig weaving for the fence.

Assembly of the work was carefully sewn by Sara Maycock.

Weavers:
Margaret Annetts
Val Cowley
Jean Coleman
Peggy Finch
Marta Firkowska
Jenny Fisher
Ingrid Grana
Sandra Haig
Debbie Harrison
Mo Hatton
Sara Maycock
Melinda Paine
Andrea Reid
Marion Thompson
Beryl van Wijgerden
Mavis Ward
Susan Ward

Photo by Simon Finch.

July 26, 2016
News: Our next Open Day and more local heritage

Our next Open Day is on Saturday 13 August at the usual time of 11am – 4pm. This is the final one before our big Open Weekend for Heritage Open Days in September.

Heritage Open Days are always massively popular and very well attended. So if you prefer to view the house on a quieter day, August is the last chance until next spring… Or perhaps you are out to bag as many heritage properties as possible over the big September weekend, then August is a great opportunity to cross the Weaver’s House off your list in advance!

There will be lots of great venues open for Heritage Open Days, but did you know some of the venues are also open in August – so you can make your own heritage trail itinerary and catch some of them before the September rush! St John’s Church and the Watch Museum are within walking distance of us and of course you can fuel up on our delicious homemade cakes.

Also open this August:

Electric Railway Museum are open the same Saturday as us, as there is only a short drive between the two venues why not do both?

The Charterhouse are running Taster Archery Sessions and Heritage Textile Workshops on selected dates in August, please visit their site for more details about this venue.

Check out our page about other local historical sites for more ideas and don’t forget there are some great summer exhibitions at The Herbert and Coventry Transport Museum.

#thisiscoventry – Enjoy it!

July 21, 2016
News: Very special visitors came to our Open Day

There were some special visitors to the June Open Day at The Weaver’s House. Maggie and Brian Morris surprised our volunteers by producing a photo of Maggie standing in the garden of The Weaver’s House on her wedding day in 1962.

Maggie Morris on her wedding day in 1962

Maggie lived in what was then 34 Court 3^rd House, just behind The Weaver’s House, with her parents Wesley and Joy Collins. She lived there from 1958 until 1962 when she married Brian in the October. They were married in St John’s Church on Spon Street. The wedding dress Maggie is wearing in the photo was white and turquoise with the stunning full petticoat shape that was so fashionable.

Maggie Morris holding her wedding photo. By Clare Chamberlain

In the original photo Maggie is standing with her father Wesley. 54 years later she stood on the same spot with Brian while volunteer Clare Chamberlain took their photo. Clare herself is descended from residents of the Weaver’s House who lived there in the early twentieth century. Truly a piece of family history!

June 29, 2016
Open Day still buzzing despite the rain

Visitors examining the display hive

Guests at the Heritage Crafts Open Day in June included a hive full of bees courtesy of Coventry Beekeepers Association who also demonstrated the crafts of skep-making (traditional bee hive) and candle rolling.

Candle rolling

Skep making

Skep making

The Weavers’ Workshop used a lucet – a traditional tool – to make simple braids which were used to make a children’s trail around the site. They also made inkle braids – narrow strips used for belts and straps.

Demonstrating inkle braids

Warwickshire Art & Craft Circle provided woodcarving and patchworking and the Coventry Branch of The Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers were on hand to demonstrate spinning.

Wood carving

Spinning

Patchworking

All this and a tearoom full of heritage cakes as well – which was empty by the end of the day!

Some of the heritage cakes

Medieval music

A busy day

The crafts day was judged to be a success despite some showery weather and it is hoped to run a similar event next year.

Showers didn’t spoil the day for these visitors

A canine visitor unbothered by the showers

Visitors shelter from the rain

In the meantime The Weaver’s House will be open again on Saturday 9 July from 11am until 4pm.

June 27, 2016
Coventry’s weaving past threads through the city

Coventry’s weaving history is represented in art at various places across the city. But you may have missed this one simply by not realising its significance as you zipped along Phoenix Way* (A444).

Phoenix Way was built in the 1990s along the route of a disused railway line. The detailed patterns in the 8 metre high walls on either side of the road represent the silk weaving trade which Coventry was famous for.

In fact, the patterns are specifically based on silk ribbons in the collection of The Herbert museum in Coventry.

The brickwork was constructed in 1997.

The three vertical patterns represent the three spires of Coventry.

The brick patterns were the work of Derek Fisher and were commissioned by Coventry City Council as part of the building of Phoenix Way. Derek Fisher was a town planner and urban designer whose other projects in Coventry included the design of the Binley Business Park, a canal bridge and elements of Longford Square.

Over 1.5 million bricks form the patterns in the brickwork.

The artwork is 2.2km long.

See the brick patterns as they were designed to be seen, from a a moving car.

So next time you find yourself along Phoenix Way, remember that Coventry’s history is literally built into its present.

Can you think of other references to weaving represented in public spaces in Coventry? Let us know…

*UPDATED 2017: Phoenix Way has now been renamed Jimmy Hill Way in honour of the football legend.

References: Public Sculpture of Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull by George Noszlopy (Liverpool University Press, 2003).

With thanks to Jenny Fisher.

June 20, 2016
News: Heritage Crafts Open Day – update 9/6

We enjoyed seeing a different side of Coventry’s heritage celebrated last weekend as Motofest took over the city. Being so close to the ringroad we could hear the cars zooming around and it was great to see so many vintage cars in the city too.

On to this weekend and we’re looking forward to our crafty friends coming along to demonstrate skills of the past. As usual we’re open from 11am – 4pm on Saturday. We won’t be running scheduled tours this weekend as there will be so much going on, but our guides will be in hand to answer any questions and chat about the history of the site.

Skep making

A skep in progress

Among our guests are Coventry Beekeepers Association who will be showing the crafts of skep-making and candle rolling as well as talking about care of the bees themselves.

Lucet for braiding

Inkle braids

The Weavers’ Workshop will be demonstrating using a lucet to make simple braids and also showing examples of inkle braids – narrow strips used for belts and straps. They have also made some braids for a children’s trail to spot around the house and garden, pick up a sheet from the activity centre to join in.

There will also be woodcarving, patchworking and spinning as well as heritage recipe cakes.

Update: the patchworkers will be demonstrating from 11.30-2pm approx.

Make a weekend of it – Electric Railway Museum are also open, there’s the Festival of Fun, and the Charterhouse has a garden party to celebrate the Queen’s 90th on the Sunday. Lots more going on in Coventry throughout June to look forward to including Coventry Pride, Hillfields Community Festival and this walking tour of public art – enjoy the city!

June 8, 2016
News: Guests confirmed for June’s Heritage Crafts Day
We’re delighted to announce that the confirmed guests for our Craft Day on Saturday 11 June are
- Coventry Beekeepers Association
- Weavers’ Workshop
- The Heritage Cake Company
- Coventry Branch of The Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers
- Warwickshire Art & Craft Circle
The Warwickshire Art & Craft Circle will be demonstrating woodcarving and textile crafts and Coventry Beekeepers Association will be on hand to discuss the traditional art of beekeeping. Other skills on show will include braiding and spinning, provided by the Weavers’ Workshop and the Coventry Branch of The Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers.

Even the refreshments will be historical, available from The Heritage Cake Company – though we will also have our usual non-medieval tea, coffee and squash. We’ll also have some music, dressing up clothes and the chance to try your hand at traditional wattling (how the Weaver’s House was made).

Come and see trades which would have been familiar to medieval people brought to life against the authentic medieval backdrop of The Weaver’s House and its garden.
May 25, 2016
News: Heritage Cake Company are coming to the Crafts Day

Our next Open Day on Saturday 11 June will be our special ‘crafts’ themed day. We will be joined by local craft groups demonstrating skills of the past.

Amongst the participants will be The Heritage Cake Company who make the famous Coventry Godcakes amongst other tasty treats.So if you haven’t tried one of these delicious, golden, fruit-filled triangles, this is your chance.

Leigh Waite is the Head Heritage Baker, responsible for reviving the Godcakes a few years ago. Leigh is really looking forward to bringing the historical recipes along, as she explained: “Our Godcakes date back to the 14th Century so they would have been part of Coventry’s culinary offering when the Weaver’s House was being built. It’s a really exciting chance to bring a taste of our own local food heritage to such a special local heritage site.”

In addition to the Godcakes, the company produce a range of heritage cakes including the Coventry Corporation Custard and English Rose Cake.

Coventry Corporation Custards made by The Heritage Cake Company

We’ll still be providing tea and coffee from our tearoom alongside Leigh’s selection of cakes. Stay tuned for more details on our crafts day soon!

Photo of Godcakes: Haydn Bailey/Coventry Transport Museum

May 19, 2016