Tag: museums

  • We’re Opening!

    We’re Opening!

    Good news for fans of Coventry’s heritage, we will be holding an Open Day in July 2021!

    We are pleased that we will be opening to the public, incredibly to us, this will be for the first time since September 2019. This will be the first time we have been open since making our improvements to the garden, which began last year. With all the challenges that are still present, we have only set one day so far to test the waters. We hope to add more of course, and we are very much looking forward to welcoming people back on site to see our medieval house and garden!

    Here are the essentials that you need to know if you are planning to visit us in July, followed by an FAQ section below, please read so you know what to expect from us and what we need visitors to be aware of:

    When: Saturday 10 July, from 10am until 4pm

    What: A free Open Day

    Where: The Weaver’s House, Coventry: Garden and selected areas of the house

    What will be there?

    The Weaver’s House will be open for limited amounts of visitors. We will have demonstrations of the traditional craft of spinning and a display about the loom and weaving in the garden.

    Visitors will be able to enter The Weaver’s House to view the two rooms on the ground floor, in small groups at a time. We will be running talks by our knowledgeable and enthusiastic volunteers in our Tudor garden area.

    We aren’t able to run this Open Day in our usual way, but we are hoping to provide an interesting experience for visitors who join us. Our Open Days are always free, so visitors can return and see more another time.

    What additional measures are in place?

    Visitors enter the house wearing a mask, this can be removed in the garden area.

    All visitors sign in via the Track and Trace app or a paper alternative.

    Hand gel is provided in the entrance area.

    We will be limiting the number of people on site at one time.

    A one-way system is in place where the nature of the site allows.

    Talks will take place outside.

    Do I need to book in advance?

    No, it is drop in, however we will be limiting numbers on site.

    We will be closing at 4pm, please bear this in mind.

    Entry is free but donations are appreciated.

    Can I see the replica loom?

    Unfortunately, it will not be possible to open the small upstairs ‘solar’ room containing the loom. It is simply too small to manage access and ventilation to accommodate visitors.

    What facilities are open?

    Toilets including accessible toilet will be open.

    Cold drinks will be available, we are unable to provide other refreshments on this occasion. We are a short walk from the city centre.

    We hope this has answered any questions that you may have about coming to visit us, but if you do have any further queries, please get in touch with us. Please use the contact form on the website or social channels if possible, it is usually quicker than using the phone number. We look forward to welcoming you.

    bee on pink flower
  • No Open Days during 2020

    No Open Days during 2020

     

     

    After careful consideration we have decided to cancel all Open Days for the rest of 2020 due to the difficulties caused by  Covid-19. We are a small, volunteer-run site and are not able to make Open Days workable under the current conditions. This decision cancels the usual Heritage Opening Days as well.

    We are disappointed not to be able to welcome visitors during this year, and look forward to reopening in 2021.

  • We are a part of the DesignLab Nation…

    We are a part of the DesignLab Nation…

    A woman talks to a group of teenager

    Last month our fantastic volunteers Tina and Janet hosted a visit by 30 students and teaching staff from Finham Park 2.

    The visit was linked to the innovative DesignLab Nation programme run by the V&A which brings together schools, artists, and museums to explore the approach to design. This particular visit was part of a collaboration between the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum and designer Gemma Potter, and we were delighted to be involved.

    A group of teenagers sit around a replica medieval table listening to volunteer

    During the visit, the students were given an in-depth insight into the history of the weaving industry in Coventry to assist in their current project. They had also visited Warwickshire-based game studio Rare as their project challenged them to question what they view as playful and productive activities. By designing prototypes for analogue input and output devices, students could links between the 18th/19th century Coventry based weaving trade and the current game design industry.

    You can delve more into the DesignLab  Nation programme here.

    Unlikely as it may seem, this isn’t the first blog post we’ve written with a connection between weaving and gaming!

    All photographs ©Victoria and Albert Museum