Tapestry of the North: Our Textile Heritage

The British Tapestry Group’s new travelling exhibition, Tapestry of the North: Our Textile Heritage, is now open at Farfield Mill in Sedbergh, Cumbria, and offers a vivid celebration of northern England’s textile traditions. Running until 21 December 2025, the open, non-juried show brings together works from tapestry artists across the region — from seasoned professionals to new weavers just discovering the medium’s possibilities.

Kate Horner, Mizzling. Photo: Farfield Mill

The exhibition’s theme, “Our Textile Heritage,” is as broad and rich as the industrial past it draws upon. Each tapestry offers a personal interpretation of the North’s deep-rooted relationship with cloth, from the wool-rich hills of Yorkshire and Cumbria, to the cotton mills of Lancashire, and the linen weavers and dyers along the River Tees. Together, these handwoven pieces create a vibrant map of creativity, labour, and landscape.

Jane Walkley, Rhythm of the Weave III. Photo: Farfield Mill

Tapestry of the North showcases an impressive diversity of style and technique. Visitors will encounter finely detailed figurative works, bold abstractions, and experimental approaches that push the boundaries of traditional tapestry techniques...

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Image Credits:

Lead: Anne Weatherell, The Howgills Tapestry. This handwoven tapestry celebrates the local sheep and their wool, translating a watercolour image of the view of the Howgill Fells from just below Farfeld Mill into textile art, using locally sourced wool yarn. Photo: Farfield Mill.

All further images as credited in photo captions.