The Weaver's House

Tag: laser scanning

  • Lights, camera, weaving!

    Lights, camera, weaving!

    a man and a woman in medieval costume

    During the winter season, although there are no open days, there are still signs of life in The Weaver’s House! Most recently the house was a location for an exciting filming project.

    working the replica loom

    Mark Webb, University of Leicester and Weaver’s House member, worked with PhD students from Warwick University Department of Visualisation and a camera team from Herbert Media to film late medieval weaving, using the Weaver’s House replica loom. This is part of the development of a virtual reality model of Spon Street and its associated medieval crafts. Professional re-enactors Ruth Gilbert and Tim Jenkins were filmed doing weaving and winding quills in costume of the period circa 1500.

    man and woman on the loom

    The whole process, including setting up a ‘green screen’ environment for video and preparing the loom, took three days. Two other Spon Street crafts will be filmed in the next few months – tanning and dyeing. Eventually the results will be fed into an overall model of medieval Spon Street, recreating a multi-sensory experience including sights, sounds and smells. We can’t wait to see the completed project!

    three people stand in front of a green screen

     

  • A look back over the year

    We’ve had a busy year! Back in April, the first open day of the year saw a record number of visitors for a season opener; and the good numbers continued throughout. In May, the Spon Spun Festival celebrated the art of storytelling with one of the events being performed in the garden of The Weaver’s House.

    We had our special heritage crafts event in June. Trades from the past were brought to life in the authentic setting of the house and garden with guests including Coventry Beekeepers Association, Warwickshire Art & Craft Circle and of course the Coventry Branch of The Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers and Weavers’ Workshop. Not to mention the Heritage Cake Company who provided a tearoom full of delights such as Coventry Godcakes and Coventry Corporation Custard.

    It’s also been a busy year in the garden with some rearranging of the beds and growing skirret for the first time. We’ve had visitors with a close connection to the house, and visitors from all across the country and beyond.

    The open day season closed with a hugely successful Heritage Open Days weekend in September with near to 400 visitors. Throughout the year our dedicated team of volunteers have provided private guided tours for groups including schools, the Workers Educational Association, Earlsdon Walkers and many more.

    We’ve also been laser-scanned, discovered weaving-themed public art, and explored other restored medieval buildings in Coventry.

    All this and that’s not even including the Weavers’ Workshops amazing creation,  featuring in this great film about Coventry’s history and even getting a look on Pokemon Go.

    And of course all the cakes we made – and ate! We haven’t been brave enough to try frumenty though…

    We’re looking forward to next year in which we celebrate the tenth anniversary of being open to the public. In the meantime there is loads to do in Coventry over the festive period. Enjoy the city.

    Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

     

     

  • Laser beams meet timber beams

    Laser beams meet timber beams

    On Monday 21 March, some curious symbols and devices appeared in the Spon Street area.

    Black and white chequered squares and number 25 on a sign in Spon Street.
    One of the symbols on Spon Street.
    A tripod with a white ball on top
    What is this mysterious item?

    A group of PhD students from the University of Warwick were engaged in laser scanning the medieval buildings of Spon Street. The team was led by Mark Webb from the Department of Archaeology, University of Leicester and Alan Chalmers, Professor of Visualisation at the International Digital Laboratory, University of Warwick.

    A man uses a tripod to scan a medieval church
    Laser scanning outside St John’s Church on Spon Street
    White spheres placed outside the church
    The white spheres are uses as anchor points to join the scans together.

    Together the team will use the scans to create a virtual reality, multi-sensory model of late medieval Spon Street. We were very excited that The Weaver’s House was to be included in the project!

    A group of people standing outside
    The team on site at The Weaver’s House.
    White spheres balance on furniture inside The Weaver's House.
    White spheres inside The Weaver’s House.
    A man using a tripod to laser scan a small medieval house.
    Laser scanning the house.

    It will take many weeks for all the scans to be meshed together but we have been given a preview of how the scans will start to take shape.

    Side view of Weaver's House constructed from laser scans
    Laser scan of The Weaver’s House.

    We’re really excited to see the project progress to its next stage and will hopefully be able to bring more news on it soon!