Our Open Days for this year are:
Sunday 12th April
Saturdays on 9th May, 6th June, 11th July, 8th August.
The July event will feature a textile display and Coventry Woodcarvers.
Heritage Open Days** Sat 12th and Sun 13th September.
Tag: Coventry
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The Weaver’s House Open Days 2026
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We are looking for new trustees to join us!
The Weaver’s House is seeking committed Trustees to help guide the future of this unique medieval heritage site, run entirely by volunteers.
As a Trustee, you’ll support the preservation of the site including the other buildings in Black Swan Terrace, strengthen community engagement, and help shape our goals. We’re looking for someone who brings enthusiasm, good judgement, and a willingness to work collaboratively. We currently open the site to the public for 7 days per year and meet as trustees quarterly, so it is not an onerous role.
Experience in finance, legal, fundraising, maintenance or residential/commercial lettings are particularly welcome but not essential. If you’re passionate about local history and want to make a meaningful impact, we’d love to hear from you.
If you are interested please contact Jess via publicityandmedia @theweavershouse.org
(delete space when emailing, this has been removed to avoid spam).
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Drag Race star Viola at The Weaver’s House
Earlier this year, The Weaver’s House also provided a suitable backdrop for a visit from Viola, Live Vocalist, Violinist & Cabaret Artist and participant in RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Series 7. Viola’s outfit was handmade using weaving techniques to represent the ribbon weaving industry and Coventry’s association with blue (and you may spot a reference to a certain traffic feature too). Fantastic to see a modern addition to Coventry’s textile history.
Viola – The Weavers House, Coventry See more of Viola on TikTok and Instagram.
Viola – The Weavers House, Coventry Credits
Photography: Andy Moore
Wig: Polished Wigs
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Coventry Society’s 5th Annual Heritage Conference
We attended this event which took place at The Herbert Art Gallery in October. An inspiring day, we heard updates from Ian Harrabin of Historic Coventry Trust, Marcus Lynch on Coventry Heritage Strategy and Charlotte Booth, Strategic Programme Manager who revealed some of the plans for the former IKEA building.
Coventry City Council has picked up the building to turn it into a lively cultural hub, teaming up with the Arts Council, British Council, and Culture Coventry Trust. Coventry University will have the top two floors, while the lower levels are getting a makeover for cultural and commercial spaces. Construction should finish in 2026, with doors opening in 2027. Thanks to £5 million in “levelling up” funding, this project is set to bring some fantastic cultural perks to the community which is very close to our location, so extra exciting!
The rest of the day featured updates including Coventry Archives, Irish Coventry Heritage and Kenilworth Road Trees Project amongst others.
Exciting times for the city’s heritage!
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River Festival 2025
We were again invited to take part in The Sherbourne Valley Project’s River Festival and were delighted to take part. A fantastic event celebrating the river and including music, theatre, crafts and storytelling, we brought along some Tudor games as well as some weaving related items.
Photos: Aaron Law Photography
We loved taking part in the event which took place at Fargo Village. It was great to see so many people taking part and celebrating the river. You can find out more about the project, including how to get involved, here. The Sherbourne Valley Project | Home
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Wordcraft and Woodcraft
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.
Our final Open Days are part of the Heritage Open Day 2025 festival on Saturday 13 & Sunday 14 September. The full details for all Coventry venues taking part can be found here.
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Author Talk: Sarah Thornton
Steam, Strife, and Survival: The Coventry Weavers’ Riot of 1831
Saturday 2nd August, at 12 noon and 2.30pm.
Tickets are free but must be booked in advance via Eventbrite.
We are delighted to welcome author Sarah Thornton as a special guest for our August Open Day.
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 talk will delve into her family history to throw light on another chapter of Coventry’s textile history:
It’s 1831 and times were tough for Coventry weavers. They had staunchly defended the timeworn craft of their ancestors for decades, resisting steam engines and other newfangled advances, cherishing the prized, single-hand looms upstairs in their cottages and terraces.
But winter was approaching, ribbon prices were down, and work was scarce. Hunger and poverty gripped the throats of men and women across the city. And so, on that November day of 1831, the weavers held a meeting to decide what to do—hundreds of them gathering in Cross Cheaping.
No one…not the weavers, nor the masters, not the magistrates nor the city aldermen …no one could have predicted the violence and destruction that was to rain down upon Coventry that day.
What was it down in the yard off New Buildings that angered the crowd so? And who was the man with the scar, seen at the forefront of the violence? What would become of the those involved? Everyone knew the punishment for rioting was death. And why would this event spell the death knell for ribbon weaving in Coventry forever?
Come and hear the shocking true story of the infamous Weaver’s Riot of 1831. The talk will last 45 minutes – 1 hour and there will be the opportunity for questions.
Please note that the talk will take place in the upstairs room due to space restrictions. Tickets must be booked in advance.
The rest of the site will be open from 10am until 4pm and refreshments are available.
Visit the author’s website Sarah Thornton
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Medieval tunes in June
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!
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We joined in at the Earlsdon Festival
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.
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Join us for a musical journey in June
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.
