Our April Open Day kicked off the season on a Sunday – a bit of a change for us but an opportunity for people who can’t make it along to one of our usual Saturdays. Normal service will be resumed in May with the second Open Day of the year, on Saturday 9th May. Displays, tours and homemade refreshments abound!
In the meantime, our lovely garden is being prepared for the summer ahead. If you are interested in helping out in the garden, please see our Volunteers page for more info, we meet once a month during the growing season.
New growth on the lavenderLeek seed heads for next season
We couldn’t pass the opportunity to wish congratulations to the Sky Blues on promotion to the Premier League!
For the history of the colour blue and how it relates to textiles in Coventry, read more here.
Our Open Days came to a close with a successful weekend for the national heritage festival. The theme was architecture and our volunteer co-ordinator and trustee Tina made a miniature model of the house to show the structure.
Many of our visitors were from the local areas of Coventry, Rugby and Kenilworth but we were also joined by visitors from the USA, New Zealand, the Netherlands and Malaysia. Thanks to everyone who added us to your itinerary.
There were many lovely comments in the Visitors Book but our favourite is from little Isobella who spotted the glinting pieces of china and glass which surface in the soil on gardening days and are kept for some possible future project on the wall. When asked by her Mum what she had enjoyed the most she replied “glass” and wrote that beautifully next to her name in the comments. It’s always inspiring to see our younger visitors engage with the site.
As we draw to a close with Open Days this year, we are so grateful to all our wonderful volunteers for all of the time given and for your company and dedication to the project.
During our August Open Day we were delighted to host special guests author Sarah Thornton and Coventry Woodcarvers. We were also visited by the Lord Mayor Cllr Rachel Lancaster and her daughter daughter Meridith in the role of Lord Mayor’s Consort, which made the day even more special.
The Lord Mayor delivered a generous speech of appreciation for our wonderful volunteer Gill Yardley for her years of service to the city. A dedicated volunteer (to various other organisations in addition to The Weaver’s House) Gill is stepping away from volunteering duties, as we come to the end of our open day season. Both Gill and her famous cakes will be much missed on Open Days. The Lord Mayor spent time looking around the site and also met our guest author Sarah Thornton, coincidentally they both have family connections to the silk weaving industry.
Sarah Thornton kindly gave a special talk just for us; Steam, Strife, and Survival: The Coventry Weavers’ Riot of 1831.
Sarah’s great great great grandfather was silk weaver, Thomas Burbury, accused of being the ringleader in the great riot of 1831. Thomas lived in Spon End about half a mile from where the riot took place, somewhere close to where The Weaver’s House stands. Sarah’s gripping talk shone a light on this less-known chapter of Coventry’s history.
The woodcarvers and some of their incredible creations.
We welcomed visitors from Australia, Portugal, Hong Kong, Italy, the USA and Greece.
The Weaver’s House hosted special guests for an Open Day that whisked audiences back in time via English music history. The Sherbourne String Quartet featured a selection of pieces that spanned several centuries from the Tudor era until the present day. This music was a backdrop to the usual Open Day activities, with the opportunity for people to sit and listen inside, or hear the music as they enjoyed the garden.
The next Open Day is on Saturday 12th July when Coventry Woodcarvers will be on site to show off their skills. As usual admission is free, and the site will be open from 10am until 4pm. Following that the house will be open for only three more days this year!
We loved taking part in this year’s May Day Festival, in Earlsdon, Coventry. A busy day which saw our volunteers offering Tudor Games Nine Men’s Morris and Shove Ha’penny for passers by to have a go.
Thanks to everyone who stopped by for a chat or a go on the games!
It was a super-busy week as a few days later we had our Open Day – we were lucky to have a nice sunny day and lots of happy visitors. Our next free Open Day is in June with special guests The Sherbourne String Quartet.
We are thrilled to announce our guests for an Open Day that promises to transport audiences through the rich tapestry of English music history. On Saturday June 7th we will be joined by The Sherbourne String Quartet who will feature a selection of pieces that span several centuries from the Tudor era until the present day.
Selections from the following:
• Henry VIII – “Passetyme with Gude Companye” – (1548) • English Folk Song – “Ladye Greene Sleves” (1580) • J Banister – ”Bourrées from A Sett of Ayres in Four Parts” (1691) • H Purcell – Selections from “The Fairy-Queen” 1692), incidental music written to accompany Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” & “Abdelazer Suite” (1695) • GF Handel – Selections from “Water Music Suite” (1717), pieces from the Thames pageant, “Rejouissance – Fireworks Music” (1749) and “Sarabande in D-minor” (1733) • C Wesley Jnr – “String Quartet No. 2” excerpt (1778) • Cotswold Morris Tune – “Sherborne Waltz” • J Haydn – Op 76 (1797) “Minuet and Trio” • J Sayer – “The Mysterious Rose” (2023) a new composition in waltz time.
This music will be a backdrop to your visit, with approximately 45-60 minutes of music played multiple times throughout the day. Visitors will be able to soak up the atmosphere at their leisure as they enjoy the surroundings of The Weaver’s House and garden which will be open as usual.
We look forward to sharing this musical journey with you. Our thanks to our special guests The Sherbourne String Quartet.
Visitors of all ages enjoyed our special spring time trail with hand painted animals to find.
Some were harder to find than others!
As usual, our fantastic volunteer team were on hand to show people around the site, demonstrate traditional skills and of course, serve our wonderful homemade cakes!
Open Days at The Weaver’s House are always free admission. Our next day is on Saturday 10th May.
The Weaver’s House reopens in April with our first open days on Saturday April 5th and Saturday May 10th, both 10am until 4pm with admission remaining free.
Come and join us – step back in time and experience the life of John Croke, a narrow-loom weaver, and his family as they lived and worked in the 1540s. The rescued and restored historic building features a full-size replica of a medieval loom in the upstairs ‘solar’ room, offering visitors a rare insight into the weaving practices of the era.
Wander through the working medieval garden, and discover plants used for food, flavouring, medicine, and household purposes. Our volunteers give talks about the daily life of a weaver in medieval times and the fascinating history of the building through time. Visitors may also have the chance to witness weaving and spinning demonstrations during their visit. And of course there are our famous home-made cakes!
For families, the Weaver’s House offers a springtime activity during the April Open Day: the Wildlife I-Spy Trail. Children can pick up a trail and see how many hand-painted wooden animals they can spot.
Our Open Days take place once a month. They are free entry and you can see the house and garden during your visit. We have volunteer-led tours and a pop-up refreshment stall with tea, coffee and homemade cakes. You can find us very close to Coventry city centre, on Upper Spon Street. This is just outside the ringroad, so you can reach us from the city via a subway at the end of Spon Street or a bridge at the end of Hill Street. More details on how to find us.
Saturday 5 April
Saturday 10 May
Saturday 7 June
Saturday 12 July
Saturday 2 August
Saturday 13 & Sunday14 September (Heritage Open Days)*
All run from 10am until 4pm. We would suggest arriving no later than 3.30pm.
We look forward to welcoming you to The Weaver’s House!
*Due to high visitor numbers we do not open the upstairs room containing the replica loom during Heritage Open Days, so if you would like to see this please visit during the regular Open Days, or you might consider booking a private group visit.
