Artsreach has been working in partnership with Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty to develop a project along the South Dorset Ridgeway, with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Stretching parallel to the coast, from Eggardon Hill in the west to the villages of Osmington and Poxwell in the east,this ridge of high land sandwiched between Weymouth and Dorchester has been a place of importance since the Neolithic period (4,000 – 2,000 BC), with over 500 ancient monuments recording the history of the Ridgewaysince that time.
Sheep have grazed for centuries on this ridge, their fleece being used in the wool trade and horn used in the early production of Dorset Buttons. It would also have been used to make felt, something man has been making for longer than any other kind of fabric. To reflect this, Artsreach commissioned artist Pauline Stanley to lead the Land Felt project, with the focus on offering local communities the opportunity to find out more about the Ridgeway, its archaeology, natural history and stories, whilst learning the traditional craft of felting.
Through a series of popular workshops at Upwey and Martintown, and sessions with Age UK Dorchester and Winterbourne Valley C of E First School, over sixty participants from the area have discovered more about the plants growing on the Ridgeway that can be used as a natural dye, such as nettles, dock seeds and elderberries, and tried their hand at dying fleece before being taught to felt. All groups involved with Land Felt have then created pieces inspired by the South Dorset Ridgeway, reflecting the cultural heritage and stories from the area, andthese works will be exhibited in village halls along the Ridgeway this spring. With opportunities to try your hand at felting and Dorset button making throughout, you can see this exhibition at:
Upwey Village Hall – Saturday 15th & Sunday 16th March
West Stafford Village Hall – Saturday 22nd & Sunday 23rd March
Strangways Hall, Abbotsbury – Friday 11th, Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th April.
Opening Times are 10.30am – 4.00pm and admission is free.
Contact Artsreach 01305 269512 or email [email protected] for further information.
Special thanks to workshop leaders Pauline Stanley, Penny Blogg, Mary-Clare Buckle, Clare Hughes, Di Pattinson and Annabel Wilson. Thanks also to Val Ghose and the Dorset Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers.
