Guild at Stanwick Lakes
We're excited to share with you a small piece about the Iron Age project currently underway at Stanwick Lakes. This aims to explore and celebrate the rich cultural heritage of the local area during the Iron Age period. We are looking at the well- preserved fragments of textiles from the Hallstatt salt mines as inspiration for our reconstruction of some of the well preserved bog finds in Denmark. Based on our research for this project, some of our spinners have been filmed for the ongoing series of Must Farm videos in conjunction with Dr James Tilley. The spinning and weaving of the Huldremose woman's clothing is a remarkable example of the skills and knowledge possessed by our ancestors. The fibres used in the clothing were sourced from plants and animals, and then carefully spun, dyed and woven into complex patterns using simple tools. This clothing is a testament to the enduring importance of spinning and weaving in human history.
Stanwick Lakes has also given us the opportunity to work with volunteer gardeners to develop an area of ground in which we are growing dye plants that will be used to colour our fibres. The Guild have been making use of the warm weather the past few weeks, experimenting with natural dyeing and cordage, all foraged from the nature reserve. The spectrum of colour shows that prehistory certainly wasn't a drab era when it came to clothing, with a huge assortment of shades achievable using a variety of native plants. Weld from our beautiful heritage gardens has been used to create a stunning vivid yellow, with dyers' camomile being foraged this week and dried, ready for dyeing in the coming weeks. The lime bark from the Big Bronze Age Boat Build has also been soaking in the lakes, and the lime bast – the inner bark fibres – have been peeled and are drying. Lime bast makes for fantastic cordage for twine and rope and is amazingly strong!
The Guild are at Stanwick Lakes every Wednesday and the last Sunday of the month from 10am in the Heritage Barn. The door is always open for you when the weavers are here, so you can take a peek, come in and explore to find out more about the fascinating history of textiles. The world of spinning and weaving is a rich and diverse community, encompassing both ancient traditions and modern innovations. From our weekly involvement at Stanwick Lakes to the thriving membership of our main monthly meeting at Denton, there is a deep sense of connection and continuity between past and present. The skills and knowledge possessed by our ancestors are still valued and celebrated today. Whatever your level of expertise our community offers a welcoming space to learn, create, and connect with others who share a passion for these timeless crafts.
We're excited to share with you a small piece about the Iron Age project currently underway at Stanwick Lakes. This aims to explore and celebrate the rich cultural heritage of the local area during the Iron Age period. We are looking at the well- preserved fragments of textiles from the Hallstatt salt mines as inspiration for our reconstruction of some of the well preserved bog finds in Denmark. Based on our research for this project, some of our spinners have been filmed for the ongoing series of Must Farm videos in conjunction with Dr James Tilley. The spinning and weaving of the Huldremose woman's clothing is a remarkable example of the skills and knowledge possessed by our ancestors. The fibres used in the clothing were sourced from plants and animals, and then carefully spun, dyed and woven into complex patterns using simple tools. This clothing is a testament to the enduring importance of spinning and weaving in human history.
Stanwick Lakes has also given us the opportunity to work with volunteer gardeners to develop an area of ground in which we are growing dye plants that will be used to colour our fibres. The Guild have been making use of the warm weather the past few weeks, experimenting with natural dyeing and cordage, all foraged from the nature reserve. The spectrum of colour shows that prehistory certainly wasn't a drab era when it came to clothing, with a huge assortment of shades achievable using a variety of native plants. Weld from our beautiful heritage gardens has been used to create a stunning vivid yellow, with dyers' camomile being foraged this week and dried, ready for dyeing in the coming weeks. The lime bark from the Big Bronze Age Boat Build has also been soaking in the lakes, and the lime bast – the inner bark fibres – have been peeled and are drying. Lime bast makes for fantastic cordage for twine and rope and is amazingly strong!
The Guild are at Stanwick Lakes every Wednesday and the last Sunday of the month from 10am in the Heritage Barn. The door is always open for you when the weavers are here, so you can take a peek, come in and explore to find out more about the fascinating history of textiles. The world of spinning and weaving is a rich and diverse community, encompassing both ancient traditions and modern innovations. From our weekly involvement at Stanwick Lakes to the thriving membership of our main monthly meeting at Denton, there is a deep sense of connection and continuity between past and present. The skills and knowledge possessed by our ancestors are still valued and celebrated today. Whatever your level of expertise our community offers a welcoming space to learn, create, and connect with others who share a passion for these timeless crafts.
Want to keep track of our current projects?
Follow our Stanwick endeavours in our regular blog posts.