Museum & Gallery ..... Open May to New year For group visits Talks and viewing appointments outside of regular opening hours Please call the office , or if you are traveling long distance to visit please double check opening hours. Last December Open Days ....Sunday 29th... Monday ...30th Tuesday 31st VISIT Address Contact The Old School Pen-y-bont Rd Whitton Knighton Powys. LD7 1NP 01547 560936 info@radnorshireartsandcraftsfoundation.org Opening Hours Sunday Monday Tuesday 1.00 pm – 5:00 pm 11.00 am – 5:00 pm 11.00 am – 5:00 pm CONTACT Telephone ....01547 560936 Email info@radnorshireartsandcraftsfoundation.org You can also contact us by using this form: First Name Last Name Email Subject Leave us a message... Submit Thanks for submitting! JOIN THE MAILING LIST Enter your email here Subscribe Thanks for submitting!

About The Old School Museum & Gallery Welcome to Radnorshire arts and Crafts Foundation, A group of Artists and Crafts people working in Radnorshire who came together to promote and exhibit handmade and artisan crafts. Inspired by the most beautiful countryside we reflect our appreciation for our surroundings by working in natural materials, drawing from traditional crafts and exploring true artistry to create something new for today. We began life in 2010 teaching and running Artist and Makers events, in 2017 we took on The Old School in Whitton, Radnorshire where we hoped to set up A Museum Gallery and Teaching Facility The old school has a delightful history it was bequeathed by A local Lady, 'Dame Anna Child' in 1703 for the education of local children, the old schoolrooms built in 1834, lend themselves perfectly to their new use as a Museum, whilst the modern extension houses a Gallery and teaching space The Old School The Old School is the new home of the Museum of Welsh Textiles, the Museum occupies the original School Rooms built in 1834 , The New wing Houses the Gallery and Teaching space. Museum The Museum is dedicated to the history of the Welsh Textile Industry, and exhibits a different Selection from the collection each year. allowing a rare glimpse into the craftsmanship of the past, Gallery The Gallery shows a selection of contemporary work from local Artists and Makers, Teaching Throughout the year we hold a variety of Classes and Study days where you can learn more about the history and the techniques used in the production of some of the exhibits shown in the Museum and Gallery.

Links Links, Friends and Information The Old School is the home of the 'Museum of Welsh Textiles' and houses the Gallery and Teaching Space, We still have a lot of work to do to improve the building and make more space available for teaching , below is list of friends and sponsors who have kindly donated to the project. Friends .... The Old Shop ...Presteigne The Old Shop sells an array of Hand Made Textiles and Artisan made items, ... not to mention a wide selection of vintage Welsh Blankets which are sold to support the Museum. The old Shop , 47 High St Presteigne LD8 2BE ...01544 260777 info@theoldshop.wales . www.theoldshop.wales N0 12 High St ...Knighton No 12 is a lovely little studio shop in Knighton who graciously lends us teaching space whilst we continue to work on the school. for teaching details ...01547 560936 Museum Plants ... As a part of our fundraising campaign we have begun a plant rearing project at the School, .The sale of plants will allow us to develop the grounds around the school and to grow Dye Plants for future classes . A selection of plants for sale can be found at the Museum and at The Old Shop 47 High St Presteigne. Haberdashers Bazaar Haberdasher's Bazaar is an online shop Selling Antique and Vintage Textiles, Buttons, Trimmings and sewing accoutrements. With a good range Natural fiber fabrics and Yarns specially sourced for restoration work and historical re creations. There will also be a curiosity department of specially selected White Elephants, some very nice pieces Antique furniture, Treen, decorative items and small collectables To be launched In January 2025https://www.instagram.com/habadashers.bazar/ ... .... ... ... Places to visit ... The Judges Lodgings ...Presteigne The Judges Lodgings Broad St, Presteigne , is an award winning Museum. A perfectly preserved example of a Victorian Court Room complete with the most commodious accommodation thought fitting for the presiding judge of a County Court. https://www.judgeslodging.org.uk/ N0 12 High St ...Knighton No 12 is a lovely little studio shop in Knighton who graciously lends us teaching space whilst we continue to work on the school. for teaching details ...01547 560936 Museum Plants ... As a part of our fundraising campaign we have begun a plant rearing project at the School, .The sale of plants will allow us to develop the grounds around the school and to grow Dye Plants for future classes . plants for sale can be found at the Museum and at The Old Shop Our Story

Museum of Welsh Textiles 2024 Exhibition Folk Costume of Wales. We exhibited a selection of costume from our collection in 2022 We now have new pieces ready to display so will be returning to explore this topic further from May 2024 to New Year last days ...Sunday 29th Dec 1.00 to 5.00 Monday 30th 11.00 to 5.00 Tuesday 31st 11.00 to 5.00 It may be possible to visit by appointment over winter please call the office between 9.30 and 10.30 01547 560936 Museum of Welsh Textiles 2023 In Praise of the Handloom Weavers This years exhibition celebrates the work of the Rural Weavers working within their own towns and villages, weaving primarily to fulfill the needs of their own communities. This years exhibition shows the variety of cloth woven, from that produced for daily use, to the heirloom pieces woven for special occasions, the majority of these pieces were not only hand woven but involved the work of both local spinner and dyer, before the yarn arrived at the door of the weaver. Welsh Double Cloth Quilt 19th C Double Cloth Quilt work of the Master Weaver, hangs behind a selection of simple indigo stripes. These simple stripes were woven for everyday use, in natural white or grey with the addition of a little simple colour, Work of the Master Weaver Lewis Jones , a Master Weaver from Lampeter weaving narrow loom tapestry on an old wooden box loom. These looms were frequently situated in the home or in a small shed attached to the house or farm. Fringed Narrow loom Cartheni The Double Cloth Quilts and the heavy fringed Carthen were frequently given as wedding presents many becoming treasured heirlooms handed down through generations, Visit

Museum of Welsh Textiles Museum and Gallery The Museum of Welsh Textiles is housed at The Old School Whitton, and is dedicated to the History of Woollen industry and Textiles in Wales. Each year we display a different aspect of the collection showing examples and focusing on their manner of production. 2024 Welsh Folk Costume, A tribute to the rural weavers, who Spun, Dyed, and Wove the fleece of their own flocks continuing age old skills and traditions. this year we take a closer look at the origins of what we now consider to be Welsh National costume and look more closely at its origins, 2023 In Praise of the Hand loom Weavers takes a closer look at the smaller Weaving Clutches who produced not only the cloth for everyday needs but who's master weavers produced the iconic Double cloths later taken up by the larger industrial mills throughout Wales.

Museum News December 2024 First I would like to thank all our visitors and Friends for another wonderful year, as always it is a pleasure to meet new people and to welcome back some old friends. We have also had some interesting Group Visits and some fantastic feedback, it is always so rewarding to receive an appreciative comment in the book or a thank you email from Visitors. .In truth they are invaluable to us, it helps us to decide what direction to take as we plan the next years events and displays. This year began with a trip to 'Wonder Wool Wales' the week before our spring opening. We took a costume display from the Museum and a selection of Knitting implements which generated a lot of interest. We also launched our Hattersley fund raiser, which we will be continuing throughout the winter, whilst hopefully we start to build her new shed. You can read more about the Hattersley below, or you can go to the links page to find out more about our fundraising projects. Click Here Our Hattersley The Museum is dedicated to the history of the Welsh Textile Industry, However as a maker at heart the thought of producing some quality cloth is never far from my mind, The Hattersley Domestic was introduced in the early 1900s, now famed for being the loom used by the Harris Crofters to weave the original single width Tweed, It was also adopted by a number of small mills around Wales, Being foot powered it could be operated even when the river was dry and a water driven mill could do no other work, therefore it was perfect addition to a small mill. Getting her Weaving Again The Hattersley is perfect for weaving Flannels and Tweeds, Our Aim is to see her weaving again, first of all we have to build her a light and dry weaving shed, Once she is in a safe and dry atmosphere we can set about getting her up and running, I somehow doubt she will run without a little love, care and a few replacement parts, but applying the 'where there is a will there is a way' principle, I hope soon to be weaving our own Museum Tweed and Flannel. Fund Raising We aim to build her shed with plenty of natural light, having large glass windows will also mean that visitors can view the work in progress. We initially estimated a cost of £6,000.00 to build her her house and start the set up. We begun fundraising this year at Wonder Wool with a selection of hand made pincushions, I have lost count of exactly how many I have made but as we approach the year we are well on our way to the first £2,000.00. We will of course be continuing into the New Year hoping to get to the 2,000.00 mark by the time the weather is good enough to make a start on the building. Become a Friend or Sponsor us The Museum will be closed between New year and Spring, we will however be working away behind the scenes, if any one wants to visit by appointment we will always make a visit possible providing we are not knee deep in mess... We not only have the Loom shed to build but we also have a long list of things that need doing within the building, ...For those who haven't visited yet, The Museum occupies the Old School house which was built in 1834 since then it has seen various phases of modernisation, the Gallery and Workshop occupy the modern wing. When we first moved here we had great dreams about holding Summer Events and the possibilities of holding larger classes, whilst we have achieved a lot over the past years , there is still a lot more to do, we have to restore the old toilets and re decorate the office wing, fix the defunct heating system and bring some of the lighting up to standard. (and that is just the beginning ). If we could achieve all these in one year it would be a miracle, however the faster we get these done the sooner we will be able to do some of the really fun stuff like teaching and summer events which we hope will help us raise funds for the next stage . In the new year we will be launching our fund raising page Haberdashers Bazar which you will be able to find on Instagram, you will also find a selection of interesting things for sale in our sister shop especially made or donated to raise funds for the Museum please see links page for details If you would like to Donate or become a Friend and help with our Spring & Summer fundraisers, please contact us through the contacts page.

Gallery The Gallery is a show case for the work of local Artists and Makers. Jason Braham Stoneware Pottery, Jason Creates beautifully robust tableware and larger display pieces in both traditional glazes and salt glaze, Jason's Table wares have a very traditional feel with simple incised markings reminiscent of traditional Salt glaze pottery. Wayne Summers Painter and Printmaker. This year Wayne shows a selection of Prints Paintings and larger works , including an installation in form based upon an early account of the Pembrokshire Mari Lywd originally a farm tradition where the Mari was constructed from the chaff sheet, stuffed with Straw and held aloft on a pitch fork, Wayne has substituted the Chaff cloth with a Canvas painted with sigils, and decorated with protective charms Jason Braham Jason's larger decorative pieces have a slightly different character reflecting the Japanese aesthetic much loved by the St Ives Studio potters. this work can be seen in his large Jugs , Vases , Chargers and Tea bowls Rosamund Black Hand wrought Silver Rosamund's Silver work is Hand worked throughout, combining hammered and textured metals with irregular cuts of semi precious stones. A selection of her work is available though the gallery and at The Old Shop in Presteigne Wayne Summers A selection of Wayne's prints featured in this years exhibition , are from a suit of work which demonstrate Wayne's fascination with Hermetic symbolism and Apotropaic Magic Rosamund Black This years winter collection expands on Rosamund's favorite theme using Charms and semi precious stones, Many cultures world wide have historically used charms to avert evil and hold the firm belief that gem stones impart beneficial influence upon the wearer.

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Teaching This is a Paragraph. Click on "Edit Text" or double click on the text box to start editing the content and make sure to add any relevant details or information that you want to share with your visitors. Museum of Welsh Textiles The Museum is dedicated to the history of the Welsh Textile Industry, and exhibits a different Selection from the collection each year. allowing a rare glimpse into the craftsmanship of the past, Gallery The Gallery shows a selection of contemporary work from local Artists and Makers, Teaching Throughout the year we hold a variety of Classes and Study days where you can learn more about the history and the techniques used in the production of some of the exhibits shown in the Museum and Gallery. Museum of Welsh Textiles The Museum is dedicated to the history of the Welsh Textile Industry, and exhibits a different Selection from the collection each year. allowing a rare glimpse into the craftsmanship of the past, Gallery The Gallery shows a selection of contemporary work from local Artists and Makers, Teaching Throughout the year we hold a variety of Classes and Study days where you can learn more about the history and the techniques used in the production of some of the exhibits shown in the Museum and Gallery. Small Title This is a Paragraph. Click on "Edit Text" or double click on the text box to start editing the content and make sure to add any relevant details or information that you want to share with your visitors. Small Title This is a Paragraph. Click on "Edit Text" or double click on the text box to start editing the content and make sure to add any relevant details or information that you want to share with your visitors. Small Title This is a Paragraph. Click on "Edit Text" or double click on the text box to start editing the content and make sure to add any relevant details or information that you want to share with your visitors.

Teaching , Talks and Textile Study Days Classes Talks and Study Days are available throughout the year and can be arranged for group visits Teaching Selected Classes, Talks and Textile Study Days are available throughout the year at the school and can be arranged for individuals or groups of 4 or more. Spinning Natural Plant Dying Talks & Textile study days Classes of 4 to 8 can be booked for beginners and intermediate levels where you can learn more about the process of selecting, washing and preparing the fleece, before taking you on to spinning your own yarn. we have a selection of wheels for people to try out and occasionally have wheels and fleece for sale. Natural Dying lessons Can be booked in the summer months when we can take you out gleaning from the hedgerows, although we are working on our own Dye garden so that eventual we will have stocks of our own cultivated Dyes, either way we can teach you about the principles involved and show you some of the unexpected colours that can be gleaned from the wilds. A variety of Talks and Textile Study Days can be arranged throughout the year, where you can learn more about the history and the techniques used in the production of many of the exhibits shown in the Museum and Gallery. We can also prepare Talks for outside group visits, these can be on the general history of Textiles in Wales or on a subject of specific interest. Rag Rug Making Pieced Paper Patchwork Utility Quilts Rag Rug making was practiced throughout Wales and in many areas of England , the variety of rugs is seemingly endless as the methods of hooking and styles of rug vary from area to area dictated to by the materials available. At the School we like to look at methods used in the old rugs comparing materials used before sending you away together your own rags. wonderful textural effects can be achieved with the simplest materials . Pieced Paper Patchwork was much a much favored pastime of not only Women but also Soldiers and Sailors, Pieced patchwork was much favored by the gentry who constructed intricate quilts from the fashionable and expensive floral chintz's, also by the rural Welsh who reworked old clothing and carefully gathered scraps, often emulating the fine gentry made quilts using simpler materials often with the most stunning effects . Traditionally Quilt making was born from thriftiness, Cloth was a valuable commodity which could not be wasted, it was frequently used and re used within the home even the simplest of fabrics were ingeniously refashioned to provide warm and decorative covers with the most pleasing effects, many are now considered to be folk art much due to their use of modest, even worn fabrics, also for their slight irregularities and inconsistencies Things to look forward to We are currently planning some new classes Traditional Smocking The Museum has one Smock which although Timeworn is always much admired. So we thought it was about time to add smocking to the list of classes, we can teach you how to draft a pattern and design and execute your own smocking embroidery details. This class will be suitable for people with basic hand sewing Experience. Weaving We have a number of table top looms for teaching , and Hope this year to be raising funds to build a loom room for the Hattersley, she is a beautiful little loom the type used on Harris to weave their famous Tweeds, These looms were designed to be operated by foot peddles so were also perfect for some of the small rural Welsh Mills who similarly used them to weave Tweed and Flannel. Stitching Samplers We have received many requests for hand sewing classes, there was once a time when sewing was taught in all schools. Girls were taught to prepare miniature stitching samples of Seam types, hems, buttonholes, darning and simple embroidery stiches. These miniature sampler were often mounted in books which have now become highly collectable, we now invite you to come and make your own . 19th C linen Smock The Smock was widely worn throughout England and Wales up until the early 1800s examples can still be seen in photographs up until the latter part of the 19th C in rural areas such as Wales. It is the most comfortable garment for working wear often made in a closely woven linen which protected the wearer from light showers, Shepard's and farm workers smocks often had broad collars covering the shoulders for extra protection, these were often heavily decorated with embroidery. Girls Sewing Classes at Whitton 1930s This beautiful picture shows the Whitton girls out in the playground engaged in their sewing lessons , we rather hope to continue this tradition in the summer months. We were given this and three other photographs by an ex pupil the others show the Girls Cooking and the boys in the vegetable patch growing Peas which the Girls made into soup for Friday luncheon, ..the fourth shows the Boys woodwork classes, , all subjects we wholeheartedly approve of. Next year we hope to put together a display showing these Photographs and giving a little of the early history of education in Wales. This school was founded by the kind bequest of a local Lady in 1703. The new schoolrooms that we now occupy were built in 1834.Prior to that it is believed that the children were taught in the school masters house and also in a barn.

Teaching Natural Dying Natural Dye Classes are available throughout the summer month. We work with both locally sourced Dye plants and imported dyes such as Madder and Indigo, Our long term aim at the school is to develop our own Dye garden where we can also teach cultivation. Log Cabin Log Cabin piecing was traditionally a thrifty way to construct a warm quilt from worn clothing, the squares which make up the quilt are made separately and joined to make a full size Quilt, this makes it an excellent choice for hand work that can be easily constructed in stages, Examples of this technique are common throughout many parts of Europe and the America's as a much treasured part of their flok art traditions. Natural Dying Dye foraging Hand Spinning Hand Spinning with local fleeces, we always have a good selection of local fleeces waiting to be spun, Beginners classes start with an introduction to the craft and a chance to learn how and why different fleeces are spun up using different methods , and about their suitability either for knitting or weaving. Paper pieced Patchwork Pieced Paper Patchwork features heavily in the earlier Welsh and British Quilts. This method was commonly used to utilise small off cuts of fancy cottons. A pieced top being made up in stages before finally being made into a quilt, this method is hand stitched and can be worked in stages making it a wonderful winter project. Natural Dyes and Inks Natural Dyes and Botanical Inks Many of the plants we use for dyeing Wool can also be used to create beautiful tones to be used as Inks or Paints Natural Dying Collecting and Growing Natural Dye Plants Rag Rug making Rag Rug making in Wales was once a common pastime amongst the country dwellers. Rural homes made them to soften the cold slate floors and add a little warmth and colour, We have some old examples here at the Museum but most are a little worse for wear but are a wonderful source of inspiration. Traditionally they were made from worn clothing , wool flannels and tweeds, other examples show great ingenuity one favorite of mine uses waste wool, no doubt this was waste from a local mill Apply Today All Classes above can be booked for groups of 4 or over for booking please contact the office or use the contact form on the contact page. info@radnorshireartsandcraftsfoundation.org 01547 560936