Crafty County

FRANCESCA BAKER takes a look at how crafts have thrived in Norfolk over the centuries

THERE has been a history of craft in Norfolk for hundreds of years. The rushes that line the Broads have been a source for weaving, basket making and thatching and the wool trade enabled textile crafts such as spinning, weaving, and felting to flourish. You might have heard of The Norwich Shawl or Norwich Stuffs, colourful weaves that were famous throughout Europe and beyond.

Norwich established itself as a vibrant centre for the arts in the 1800s with the foundation of the Norwich School of Painters in 1803. Once, domestic crafts like knitting, baking and sewing would have been essential skills in the lives of the women in small villages and rural areas, while building crafts such as thatching, cob building, flint knapping and pargetting were practised by craftsmen.

Crafts are still very much an exciting part of artistic life in Norfolk. The skill and expertise that crafting requires thrives all over the county, as does the interest in arts and design by shoppers with a keen eye and passion for unique products, This craving for crafts isn’t just nostalgia or a yearning for yesteryear. Instead, the craft scene is evolving and with it comes new opportunities. “Artists and craftsmen are constantly looking for new designs, new ways of working, new materials and there has always been a ‘conversation’ amongst them,” says Sheila Gates, of Burlingham Hall. As well as producing her own kiln fused glass items, Sheila hosts other makers and crafters for workshops and events.

She is also a member of Norfolk Contemporary Craft Society, an organisation which exists to promote the interest in and interests of makers across the county. Founded in 1972, the society it is a vibrant community of members, including clay workers, glass blowers, silversmiths, weavers and woodturners.