Natural Fibre & Heritage Crafts Festival 2024

My well documented passion for textiles and history has provided a welcome and positive focus for me this summer and the  atmospheric Coldharbour Mill in Uffcumle, Devon is at the heart of this.  A long loved textile venue, I am grateful to all there who entrusted in me to collaborate and to run an inaugural Natural Fibre & Heritage Crafts Festival.  

Coldharbour is one of the oldest wool mills in the world, operating since 1797 and reknown for producing worsted yarn and cloth for the Fox Brothers empire. It is surprising unknown to many and I am on a mission to change this.

Now operating as a charitable trust, the Mill is run by friendly and hardworking people who have a huge passion for the history that lies within.  This includes many knowledgeable volunteers, who operate the working Mill machinery and enthuse visitors on their regular open days.  Steam engines, looms and spinning equipment draw in those with mechanical minds, with sights, sounds and smells of times past to marvel at.  To walk the worn Mill stone stairs in the path of so many who have gone before is evocative.  To touch their products steeped in so much history is a joy to all who love textiles.

The yarns and fabrics lovingly produced can be found in the charming Mill shop - that is near on impossible to leave empty handed!  There is  sumptious aran and double knit wool yarn and tartan fabrics whose names add to the lure of local history:- Devon Green, Devon Blue, Blackdown Hills, and Somerset.  All their products are 100% Pure British Wool and are spun and woven on heritage machinery at Coldharbour - the name for which is said to be derived from Anglo Saxon meaning 'Old Shelter'.

It was a delight and privilage to bring together a group of like-minded artists and makers in the Mill's atmospheric Fox Gallery this summer.  Each of us took great pleasure in exhibiting a selection of of our work to showcase how natural fibres and  heritage crafts can bring benefits to 21st century living.  We greatly enjoyed engaging visitors with our creativity through displays, demonstrations and workshops over our Festival weeks and most importantly, we hope that we inspired our visitors to have a go at learning a new craft.

I would like to say a huge thank you to this very talented tribe of creatives: Amy Stevens, Arthur Sharp, Bec Briar, Caz Loader, Hilary Tudgee, Jacqui Carey, Jane Hardstaff, Jennie Loader, Lia Duarte-Jenkinson, Marie Evans, Marius Evans, Paula Simpson, Philippa Reid and Wendy Greaves for their professionalism, enthuiasm and generosity in sharing their knowledge and skill.  Also to all the people at Coldharbour Mill who supported this endeavour alongside many priorities and to the  Somerset Spinning & Weavers Dyers Guild.

We ended our fun-filled Festival days with the gallery brimming with visitors and learning :) We are all very grateful to our visitors throughout the Festival weeks and for their warm and encouraging feedback.  We feel sure that the benefits of our collaboration this summer will continue and we are glad to have demonstrated the wonder of creating with natural fibres and heritage crafts, and the power of working together.  Here are those of us present on the final Festival day and a short video beneath of all 15 of us to took part in this very happy and rewarding summer venture.