Creating communities, thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund
Our team and volunteers partnered with community groups in Witney and West Oxfordshire to create a beautiful multi-medium tapestry inspired by the history of Cogges, thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The project started in 2021, with support from Cogges' craft team. You can see the Cogges Tapestry on display in the barn.
One panel has been created by Witney Community Hospital and Oxford Health Arts Partnership, Health Care Assistant and Arts Volunteer, Heather Williams, who worked alongside patients and staff on Wenrisc Ward over several months.
After discussions with patients and staff at Witney Community Hospital, they chose memorable events at Cogges such as 'Apple Day' for the creation of their panel. Heather supported patients and staff as they made contributions to the project. Working on the tapestry together gave us all something to talk about as we created our scene, from remembering childhood events to visits to Cogges farm and even memories of past sewing projects.
"I approached the project as a fabric collage, with the emphasis on composition, colour, and pattern. I obtained off cuts of fabrics including batik pieces, sari fabric and buttons. I was given some reference photographs from Cogges Manor Farm and set about creating the basic composition of sky, grass, and trees. I met and worked with two wonderful patients at Witney Community Hospital, Nancy, and Gillian. Both Gillian and Nancy had some great ideas and even kept clippings from newspapers during the time in between weekly sessions on the ward. They really looked forward to the sessions and we happily talked about what we could add, their experiences of apple picking and being in gardens during their lives, talking about flowers, birds, apples etc. cutting out shapes and using fabric glue to add the pieces and adding minimum stitching later to tidy up if needed. The patients really led this project, and it was a pleasure to work with them."
Working on the tapestry together gave us all something to talk about as we created our scene, from remembering childhood events to visits to Cogges farm and even memories of past sewing projects.
This panel features a wedding scene of Frank and Kate Mawle, who married in 1895/6 and lived at Cogges. The panel was created by Christine Adams who belongs to Buttercross Ladies Probus Club, which is for ladies who are retired business or professional people.
I enjoyed some suggestions from Anne Francis, a Cogges craft volunteer. I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge!
The Lincroft Care Home panel was a whole home approach. All residents, including those living with dementia were able to participate in some way and enjoyed the artistic challenge. The residents really wanted to do the walled garden section, as they have their own vegetable garden, which they grow all their own food in. This then gets sent to the kitchen and prepared for their dinner! It was lovely for the residents to be able to create this piece of artwork about the Cogges kitchen garden, whilst also reflecting the garden at Lincroft.
The Cogges Manor House kitchen created by West Witney Women's Institute
Local groups who took part include St Mary's Church, Cogges with Catherine Harwood, Witney U3A, West Witney WI and Cogges Land Management Trainees, Brownies, The Blake School.
See the completed tapestry at Cogges Manor Farm in the barn.
For more information contact learning@cogges.org.uk.
