May 29, 2025
Fourteen members of the Fan Makers visited the Whitchurch Silk Mill on May 29th. The Georgian building houses a working silk-weaving mill / museum and we had a fascinating guided tour including the water wheel on the river Test which flows past the mill, the top level warp and weft floor where we saw how the patterns are built from the dyed silk and the weaving floor. Silk weaving, like fan making is a critically endangered craft which the museum is trying to bring to life by training apprentice silk weavers and by building awareness through visits. Thank you to Sue Tappliss and Colin Adams for making this a fabulous tour!
