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Tuesday 2 August 2011

Travels near to home

 As you may have gathered if you visit my blog regularly I love to travel and see new things......while I do love to travel to places far and wide I also think we should appreciate what is on our own doorstep!
So today a friend and I headed to CHEDDLETON which is near LEEK in Staffordshire.......the reason for this visit? To go to St Edwards church....pic above!

 Inside this church is a most beautiful stained glass window by the pre-raphaelite artist EDWARD BURNE-JONES.
Three panels with angels with red wings!



 Edward Burne-Jones was a friend of William Morris and a partner in Morris's company.

Another friend of Morris was Thomas Wardle who was a silk importer, dyer and printer in nearby Leek and William Morris who believed in only using natural dyes, spent three years at the factory learning dyeing techniques before he started his own famous company........you may wonder why I'm rambling on about silk dying but there is a connection with the church! The chancel roof is painted with symbols significant to the local community......one of these is a plant called the Wild Madder which produced a dye used by Wardles company to dye silk fibers. This also leads to the next connection...........

 Wardles wife Elizabeth was given some of these dyed threads and asked to devise a method of embroidery to encourage the use of the silks. In 1879 Elizabeth founded THE LEEK EMBROIDERY SOCIETY .....it became well known for large church embroideries........and there was a beautiful example on display in the church.......I apologise for the poor pics but the embroidery was behind glass and the light from the windows behind did not help! I hope you can see how beautiful it is.

 I hope you don't mind me rambling away about all this stuff.......but I find it fascinating and I hope some of you do too!!

8 comments:

Sarah said...

you know I do :)

those red wings are gorgeous. why have I never thought of red wings before? (except in relation to the Detroit ice hockey team)

coming to an art journal page near me soon, I think!..... :)

Effie said...

What fabulous windows... I suspect they'll be the inspiration for a journal page sometime soon!

Suzi B said...

I love it Sue.... keep on rambling!

Artyjen said...

Facinating and beautiful.
Love Edward B-J and the gang ;)
If I am ever that way I'll make sure I visit.
xoxo Sioux

Anonymous said...

Thanks for showing us your wonderful photographs and I enjoyed reading your blog, too.

Barb Cady said...

Just the sort of place I love to visit! Have you been to Kelmscott Manor in Wiltshire? William Morris' home - perhaps the next time you down this way? Thanks for a lovely post.

Rolina said...

From another church photographing addict - I totally understand.

Lovely photos - I particularly love those frescos!

Jo Capper-Sandon said...

I went to Leek Art College from 16 to 18 :0) William Morris influence was huge in the building there. When I was born I lived in one of the black and white buildings in town.
Is Eric Englands art shop still there? Off the market square. He was one of our tutors.
Cheddleton was more well know for its mental healthcare institution - pity as these images are stunning.

Congratulations to on your exhibition work. Gorgeous.