NEWS
DOVER CASTLE COMMISSION
FINE CELL WORK’S ENGLISH HERITAGE COMMISSION
Fine Cell Work recently played an important part in English Heritage’s recreation of the interiors of King Henry II’s Great Tower at Dover Castle, built between 1179 and 1188. 48 magnificent, hand-embroidered cushions now inhabit the King’s Hall, Chamber and Chapel at the Castle as part of a £2 million project which was launched to the general public on the 1st of August.
Enthusiasm for the project has been infectious amongst the prisoner-stitchers. Several of the workers were seen carrying their huge Dover Castle embroideries around with them and stitching in their coffee breaks at work. Others were let completely off their prison jobs to complete the commissions. Many worked as long as ten hours a day on the commissions. The project has shown that offenders can learn new skills, work under pressure and commit to extremely long hours if the right support and training is given. Fine Cell Work is very much hoping to light a torch for more prison work of this kind in the future. Read one of our stitcher's thoughts on his work for this project - Reflections on Dover
Forty Fine Cell Workers in 15 prisons around the UK were trained and supervised to do the work using authentic 12th century stitching while 10 volunteers undertook the complicated preparatory work to chart the designs, prepare embroidery frames with silk and linen fabrics and to order, and cut and pack the yarns needed. Polly Scott Bolton and Scarlett Oliver created the designs in consultation with Dr. Frances Pritchard from the Whitworth Museum of Textiles. Fabrics used were faithful to the period and were stitched with symbolic mediaeval motifs of peacocks, paired doves, centaur stags and regal fleur de lys, befitting the rooms of one of the most important English monarchs of the period.
The cushions were just some of the many artefacts made for the recreation of the interiors of the Great Tower at Dover Castle as it would have been in the time of Henry II in the mid-1100s. The unique project – the first of its kind - was directed by Dr Edward Impey of English Heritage and recreated pieces such as King Henry II’s chair and bed, his sceptre, orb and crown, doors and chests with highly decorative ironwork, intricately carved and gilded chairs and furniture, barrels for beer-making, flamboyant wall-hangings (painted fabrics), traditionally-made medieval books, armoury and weapons, and other musical instruments.
The acclaimed theatre set designer, Kit Surrey, will put all the pieces into context in these spectacular interiors that will be brought to life by a series of hologram-like characters and, at peak times, costumed interpreters.
See more of the splendor of the work in the recent FT article Dover Castle and on the English Heritage site.
The Dover Castle is the first public heritage project for which Fine Cell Work has supplied its fine embroidery and the charity hopes that will lead to further projects with heritage organisations.