Textiles of Devon

Make your own way to Devon and join Janice Gunner and your Arena Travel Tour Manager at the Woodbury Park Hotel near Exeter. This evening you will join your fellow stitchers for dinner, the perfect opportunity to get to know one another.

This morning we will have exclusive access to Fairlynch Museum, housed in a beautiful, thatched cottage by the beach. It has a nationally important costume collection consisting of more than 3,000 outfits and accessories. The oldest costumes in their possession date from as early as 1700! Enjoy some time here to admire the costumes as well as other textiles including lace.

The day continues to Honiton to visit the All Hallows Museum of Lace and Local Antiquities. The market town of Honiton is set in the East Devon area of outstanding natural beauty and is well-known for its lace and pottery. The museum has one of the most comprehensive collections of Honiton Lace in the world. Spend time browsing the displays which feature examples of 17th to early 21st century Honiton lace.

 Later this afternoon we will travel to Coldharbour Mill, where they bring the industrial revolution to life. Largely untouched since Victorian times, today Coldharbour remains in production using heritage looms. We will learn how introducing steam and waterpower proved to be the turning point in history. Enjoy a guided tour and the opportunity to browse the mill shop filled with yarns, rugs and fabrics.

Today we will enjoy our first full day workshop with Janice at the hotel.

Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery (RAMM) is in the heart of Exeter and offers fascinating displays and galleries of Devon and Exeter’s rich history and global connections. On our visit we will enjoy a guided tour of the museum with one of the curators who will highlight the textiles and dress on display. Additionally, we will have a private viewing of one of the Joanna Southcott quilts.

After visiting RAMM you will have some time at leisure in Exeter for shopping and lunch before driving to John Arbon Textiles later in the afternoon. John Arbon Textiles produce traditional British-made yarn and tops designed, blended and spun using vintage machinery. We will learn all about their process on a tour of the mill.

Our second full day workshop at the hotel with Janice.

Venture into South Devon and explore all it has to offer by steam train, river boat and bus. Today, we will visit the charming and quaint towns of Paignton, Dartmouth and Totnes with a local guide.

Cowslip Workshop is Launceston’s specialist patchwork shop and café. We will spend a full day here enjoying an appliqué workshop for a Pie Crust Daisy Pincushion with Jo. This workshop will mostly be completed by hand-sewing with the opportunity to complete the project by machine.

After a leisurely breakfast, check out of your hotel and say goodbye to your fellow stitchers and expert Janice.