The Weaver's House

Tag: Spon Spun Festival

  • That was 2019 at The Weaver’s House

    That was 2019 at The Weaver’s House

    What a busy year it has been for The Weaver’s House. This is the first year that we have had a special theme for every Open Day. Let’s take a whistle-stop tour…

    It doesn’t seem a blink of an eye since we began the open season with Signs of Spring, on a sunny April day. A few weeks later, we had an extremely memorable day as reenactor group Coventry Militia brought expertise, costumes and weaponry for an authentic historical experience and some exciting medieval action! We are hoping they will join us for a future Open Day.

    June and July delved into delicacies and dirt respectively, with Open Days on Tudor cooking and an archaeological dig. The Tudor recipes included Pease Pottage which visitors sampled on tiny trenchers (bread plates), and mostly declared that it was better than they expected! Coventry And District Archaeological Society (CADAS) ran the on-site dig for July, which unearthed finds including medieval pottery and later dated items such as glass, animal bones and pipe bowl/stem.

    August brought a day of Summer Fun in the Garden. Young visitors enjoyed making woolly snails, weaving and “rub-a-bug” a brass rubbing style activity, featuring mini-beasts.

    Before we knew it, it was September, and the annual festival of Heritage Open Days, this year celebrating its 25th anniversary. Back in the 90s it was just a single day. It runs across nearly two weeks now, and we opened for both weekends.

    This year, the first Saturday coincided with the Spon Spun Arts and Heritage Trail, with the house hosting artwork by Karen Rose Textiles, marking the connection between weaving and the nearby river Sherbourne. This work is currently displayed at the Healing Arts Gallery at University Hospital Coventry & Warwickshire. During the second weekend, we celebrated the centenary of the birth of previous resident, Sid O’ Neil, with his descendants. Of course, we had cake!

    Thanks to the skills of the Weavers’ Workshop, throughout September the window of The Weaver’s House was turned gold, along with most of Earlsdon, in tribute to Ben Crowther.

    Although Open Day season ended in September, the house was open in October and November this year for Coventry Biennial. Three artworks were brought together to explore weaving as a historic and contemporary practice which is undertaken in almost every community across the globe. The exhibition closed in late November, ending our public openings for this year.

    We also had some private groups in of course, including the Design Nation project and visitors with ancestors connected to the area.

    What a busy year! We have next year’s dates in the diary and once we have finalised a few details, we’ll be listing them here very soon! We always welcome new volunteers, so if you have an interest in heritage, Coventry history, gardening or would just like to get involved, find out more here.

  • Artwork marks the connection of the River Sherbourne and weavers of old.

    Artwork marks the connection of the River Sherbourne and weavers of old.

     

     

     

     

    We enjoyed a sunny September for the first Heritage Open Days weekend of 2019, the 25th anniversary year of the festival.

    On the Saturday we, and visitors, were treated to an extra slice of culture as The Weaver’s House hosted part of the Spon Spun Arts & Heritage Trail in the form of an exhibition by Karen-Rose-Textiles.

    The Spon Spun exhibition featured artworks entitled ‘Scir Burna’ (Clear Stream in Old English) representing the river Sherbourne that flows through and under the city. The pieces representing the ‘life giving force’ of the river are made from naturally dyed felted wool and were accompanied by a soundscape during the installation.

    The river itself would have been used for washing and dyeing in the time when the house was lived in by the medieval weaver and family. The artworks, created especially for display in The Weaver’s House, connects the river and the history of Coventry’s weaving, dyeing and spinning industry and the house’s previous residents. The pieces also pay homage to the dye colour Coventry Blue “as true as Coventry blue.”

    Framed textile art in medieval house, beams and wall

    Earlier in 2019 Karen was commissioned by Artspace Coventry and Spon Spun to plan and deliver a community based intergenerational project linking together The Weaver’s House and the pupils from neighbouring Spon Gate Primary School. The project introduced pupils from year 3 and 4 to the ancient craft of weaving and its strong links with medieval Coventry. They also visited The Weaver’s House and learnt some weaving techniques from the Weavers’ Workshop.

    The work has been selected for exhibition at The Healing Arts Gallery at University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire from November 2019 – March 2020.

    To find out more about Karen’s work visit karen-rose-textiles.com.

  • Spon Spun Arts Trail, Saturday 14 September

    Spon Spun Arts Trail, Saturday 14 September

    We’re delighted that once again we are taking part in this year’s Spon Spun Arts Trail. The trail runs on one of the same days we will be open for Heritage Open Days, so a great opportunity to visit some interesting buildings and enjoy the festival too!

    On Saturday 14 September, we will be hosting a visual/audio piece of work by Karen Johnson in the house itself, for a fifteen minute span at 12.00 pm, 1.00pm, 2.00pm, 3.00pm and 4.00 pm. The artwork is drop-in so you can view it at any point during those fifteen minute periods. During these sessions there will be no tours in the house.
    It can get very busy during Heritage Open Days. We will do our very best to hold to the above schedule, but at times you may need to wait a few minutes. Thank you for your understanding and we hope you enjoy everything that the two events have to offer!
    Our full opening times for Heritage Open Days.
  • 2018 was an action-packed year at The Weaver’s House

    2018 was an action-packed year at The Weaver’s House

    2018 saw a bumper number of events at The Weaver’s House. Alongside our usual Open Days, there were not one, but two weekends open for Heritage Open Days plus exhibitions and special events. The year started in fine form with a sunny April Open Day and continued into May with a site-wide celebration of medieval crafts, with visitors able to experience traditional skills and talk to craftspeople about their process.

    June brought a wealth of opportunities to see the house. Alongside the usual Open Day, the house opened for the annual Warwickshire Open Studios and Coventry Arts Trail with a display of The Weavers’ Workshop projects. Also part of Warwickshire Open Studios, the house hosted the War & Pieced Patchwork Exhibition, a collection of thought-provoking military and civilian patchwork quilts collected and restored by Jane and Peterson Cobbett. Visitors to the exhibition sat in the garden enjoying a gloriously sunny day, with little realisation that the beautiful weather was to signal the start of an unforgettably sunshine-filled summer.

    The sun stayed through July’s day of Tudor-styled fun featuring games both familiar (such as quoits) and less recognisable (Nine Men’s Morris) and into August’s Family History Day. This themed day celebrated the lives of people who had lived in Black Swan Terrace, the group of cottages that The Weaver’s House is part of. We were delighted to welcome families of former residents of all five houses, and visitors were even able to research their own family history.

    September saw Spon Spun return with participation by The Weaver’s House on the Arts Trail. Plus two sets of Heritage Open Days, a first for the festival itself and a sure indication that interest in the past has a good future!

    Another first was our special Halloween Open Day in the October half term. Volunteers transformed the house into a spooky and entertaining setting for a day of crafts, treats and storytelling. Despite it being a cold day, much fun was had and visitors were able to warm up with mulled apple juice, hot chocolate and Halloween themed tasty treats. The Belgrade’s panto dame, Nanny McWheeze, popped in to learn a little about spinning wheels and spindles, in the hope of protecting Princess Belle from the curse of the wicked Carabosse! The day finished with a special storytelling session in the house itself, with storyteller Pyn Stockman enchanting both children and adults with the tale of Vasilisa the Brave.

    In November there was a special event to mark the 100th anniversary of the Armistice for which The Weaver’s House was awarded two There But Not There silhouettes funded by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust. These silhouettes were in remembrance of former residents, the two O’Neil boys posted to France during WWI and who did not return. One of the volunteers, Clare, is a descendant of the O’ Neils, and she put together a special talk including the war story of the family, which was completely fully booked. Visitors helped to create a memory board and the house was decorated with woven poppies created by The Weavers’ Workshop. The volunteers were joined by Sergeant Phil Edis of Coventry R.E.M.E. (Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers) to represent the Armed Forces in our community today.

    The finale of the year was another new venture for The Weaver’s House, as a venue for craft workshops. What a busy year!

    If you would like to find out more about any of the events from the past year, have a browse through our blog. Open Days at The Weaver’s House will recommence in the springtime, and details are here.   

  • Heritage Open Days 2018!

    Heritage Open Days 2018!

    It’s time to bust out the bunting, blow up the balloons and throw open the doors for the free festival of heritage which starts this week! This year, we are open for two weekends of Heritage Open Days.

    For Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 September, join us for tours, home made cake and spinning demonstrations.

    The following weekend, Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 September, we will have tours, and guests The Heritage Pantry providing refreshments.

    On each day, we are open from 10 – 4pm, and it’s free entry.
    Please note that there is no entry to the solar (upstairs room containing the loom) on Heritage Open Days.

    Heritage Open Days stickers, balloons and bunting.
    Heritage Open Days stickers, balloons and bunting.

    Coventry has a fantastic range of places opening for Heritage Open Days (not just buildings, but boats, gardens and even a taxi!). You can find out what’s on when in Coventry for Heritage Open Days 2018 here.

    As well as being close to other buildings on the historic Spon Street such as the Coventry Watch Museum and St John’s Church, we are also close to The Albany Theatre , Broomfield Tavern and Holyhead Studios, as well as all the city centre venues of course!

    We are also pleased to be part of this year’s Spon Spun Arts Trail on  Saturday 15 September, and on Saturday 8 you can also enjoy some Spon Spun events in the Oasis Cafe opposite us.

    Better get planning – there’s a LOT to see!

     

  • Goodbye 2017, hello 2018!

    Goodbye 2017, hello 2018!

    2017 was a massively successful and memorable year at The Weaver’s House, so without ado, here’s a whistle-stop tour of the highlights. From a sunny start in April with a day of fun and Tudor Games we enjoyed consistently good visitor numbers and fantastic feedback. The ‘Old May Day and Crafts’ Open Day featured guest stalls throughout the house and garden, welcoming craftspeople from Warwickshire Craft Circle, Quite Contrary Baskets and Byatt’s Brewery. The June Open Day coincided with World Wide Knit in Public Day, so knitters convened in the garden for sociable crafting.

    July was non-stop, with stalls at both Godiva Festival and Lunt Roman Festival. Plus not one, but two open days, including our big celebration of ten years of the house being open to the public and a well-earned party for volunteers.

    Heritage Open Days in September is always a big weekend for us and on the Sunday we had the finale of our tenth anniversary weaving project Coventry Blue. Throughout this year, visitors to The Weaver’s House contributed to this hands-on project, run by the Weavers’ Workshop and on the Sunday it was finally finished. Coventry Blue then took second prize on the Spon Spun Art Trail, even though it wasn’t on the official voting list!

    What a fantastic year! Last night we convened on a misty and mysterious looking evening to discuss plans for the upcoming year… there are a few plans in the works that we will be revealing soon!

     

    This year sees us offering some Sunday dates in response to demand from people who would like to visit but work or have other commitments on a Saturday. We do hope that if this is you, you will be able to join us this year, whether it’s for a tour or tea and cake!

     

    Dates for the 2018 Open Days are: Saturday 14 April, Sunday 6 May Heritage Crafts Day, Saturday 16 June, Sunday 22 July Tudor Games Day, Saturday 18 August (all 11am – 4pm) and Heritage Open Days, provisionally scheduled for Saturday 15 September and Sunday 16 September.

     

     

  • The all new Coventry Blue

    The all new Coventry Blue

    We had a fantastic Heritage Open Days weekend with lots of visitors. People were not put off by the rain and enjoyed visiting us and our neighbours including St John’s Church, Coventry Watch Museum, CET Building and Priory Visitor Centre. So much heritage to enjoy and that’s just those within a short walk — there were over 50 places to visit in Coventry during the festival.

    HODs saw our final Open Days this year. If you’ve been along to one of our Open Days at The Weaver’s House, or have been following us online, you will have spotted our 10 year anniversary weaving project, to create a new version of the famous ‘Coventry Blue’ woven cloth.

    Throughout this year, visitors to The Weaver’s House have contributed to this hands-on weaving project, run by the Weavers’ Workshop. Finally, during Heritage Open Days, the cloth that was woven by so many people during this year was cut from the loom.

    As the cloth unfurled, it was the very first opportunity for anybody to see how it turned out!

    It was cut free of the loom by Margaret, one of the lead weavers on the project who revealed the completed cloth to be approximately five metres in length.

    Action… and – cut!

     

    Visitors help to unfurl the woven cloth

    Coventry Blue then took second prize on the Spon Spun Art Trail, even though it wasn’t on the official voting list! It is currently displayed as part of the City Arcadia exhibition until 30 September. The opening times are Tuesday – Friday 12 – 4pm and Saturday 10am – 1pm.

    You can see a bit more about the Art Trail here, and also on the Weavers’ Workshop blog.

     

  • Three more sleeps until Heritage Open Days!

    Three more sleeps until Heritage Open Days!

    Well, technically it’s only two until the festival begins but we are open from Friday so that’s when we’re counting it!

    Here’s a handy summary of what’s happening here at The Weaver’s House:

    We’re open 10 – 4pm on each day. Our suggested last admission time is 3.30pm.

    Please note that the Solar room containing the loom is not accessible during Heritage Open Days. 

    Friday 8: This is a ‘Reduced’ Open Day, and we won’t have any demonstrations happening, but guides will be on hand to answer questions. A great opportunity to avoid the rush! Please note that we are not serving refreshments on Friday but our neighbours at the Oasis Cafe over the road will be open from 12. The cafe is newly refurbished so pop in and check it out!

    Saturday 9 and Sunday 10: Our regular Open Days run over the weekend to celebrate both Heritage Open Days and the end of a great 2017 season! We’re joined by special guests The Heritage Pantry (previously known as The Heritage Cake Company) providing tasty treats.

    Sunday only: At 11am our weaving project will be cut from the table loom and there will be an opportunity to view the completed cloth throughout the day as part of the Spon Spun Art Trail. Also featured in the Art Trail is Keith Watts’s new painting of The Weaver’s House which will be shown at The Old Dyer’s Arms. This is just a few minutes walk from The Weaver’s House itself, crossing the Spon Bridge over the River Sherbourne. The Art Trail starts at 12.

    We’re delighted to be taking part in Coventry’s Heritage Open Day family trail so you can pick up a form from us and join in the fun. There’s so much going on in Coventry for Heritage Open Days this year, check out the list of venues here.

    If you pick up or download a brochure, you’ll spot that it’s colour coded to help you pick out which venues are nearby, to help plan your day. We’re in the green zone – see you there!

     

  • Our ‘Coventry Blue’ will be revealed during Heritage Open Days

    Our ‘Coventry Blue’ will be revealed during Heritage Open Days

    If you’ve been along to one of our Open Days this year, or follow us online, you will have spotted our 10 year anniversary weaving project, to create a new version of the famous ‘Coventry Blue’ woven cloth.

    Throughout this year, visitors to The Weaver’s House have contributed to this hands-on weaving project, run by the Weavers’ Workshop. We’re excited that the cloth that has been woven by many people during this year will be cut from the loom at 11am on Sunday 10 September during Heritage Open Days. As we unfurl the cloth, it will be the very first opportunity to see how it turned out – so if you’ve had a go, pop along and see the completed cloth that you have been part of!

    The weaving on the loom

    Sara from the Weavers’ Workshop explained the background to the project:

    “In medieval times, when the house was built, Coventry was a centre for the weaving trade and the city was best known for its fine blue cloth,  “Coventry Blue”. Our project used Coventry Blue as a starting point and was intended to give visitors an opportunity to see the magic of the woad dyeing process and have a go at ‘hands on’ loom weaving, to see for themselves what weaving entails.”

    “We began with woad dyeing the wool on the first Weaver’s House Open Day of the year. The wool was then put on a warping mill to create the correct lengths of yarn needed to warp up a portable table loom, all this before cloth weaving could start. The Weavers’ Workshop wonder whether this is the first sample of “Coventry Blue” cloth woven in the city in 450 years. As no one really knows what the original Coventry Blue looked like or the processes involved in its making,  it’s our very own 21st century interpretation!”

    a child watches a loom demonstration

    The loom has also been out and about at events including the Lunt Roman Festival to give even more people an opportunity to weave a little bit of The Weaver’s House history. After the cutting ceremony, the piece of cloth will be displayed at the house as part of the Spon Spun Art Trail which runs from 12 – 4pm on Sunday 10 September. There will be further opportunities to see the cloth in the future.

    Five facts about the famous historical ‘Coventry Blue’:

    • The fine blue cloth was dyed and woven in Coventry and exported to the continent.
    • The blue colour was derived from woad, an unpromising looking green plant related to the cabbage family. Woad is a vat dye and requires a complex chemical process to create the conditions in which cloth can be dyed blue.
    • No one knows what colour the historical Coventry Blue looked like as no samples have ever been identified or dye recipe discovered.
    • The woad dye was imported from the south of France as the sunny climate ensured a higher concentration of blue dyestuff in the plant.
    • Coventry Blue cloth was highly sought after due to the non-fading quality of its blue colour and is believed to be the basis of the phrase True as Coventry Blue or True Blue meaning steadfastness.

    The completion of the weaving project rounds off a highly successful year for us – we’ve had large numbers of visitors enjoying our Open Days season including memorable days celebrating Easter, May Day and our 10th anniversary – but it’s not over yet!

    For the first time ever, we’ll be open on the Friday of Heritage Open Days with a ‘Reduced’ Open Day on 8 September (there’s no refreshments or demonstrations, but a great opportunity to have a quieter look around the house and talk to guides).

    Then we have Open Days on Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 September with refreshments supplied by The Heritage Pantry (formerly The Heritage Cake Company) alongside spinning and weaving. Please note that the solar (upstairs room containing the loom) will not be open for Heritage Open Days.

    group of visitors in the garden

    Opening times are 10am – 4pm. Admission is free and no booking is necessary. These are our last Open Days this year, so we hope to see you there!

    Have you tried making Coventry Blue cloth? Get in touch!

    Read more about Coventry Blue and woad dyeing.

    Main pic: Ingrid from Weavers’ Workshop

  • A look back over the year

    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.