Embroidery Exhibition
The long-awaited The English Walled Garden embroidery exhibition is now open and may be enjoyed Wednesdays, Sundays and August Bank Holiday when the House is open.Doddington Hall has worked with the internationally acclaimed Royal School of Needlework (RSN), nationally known textile artists and local embroidery groups to stage this nationally important embroidery exhibition, which takes its inspiration from the walled gardens at Doddington.
The Royal School of Needlework will be contributing a range of work from their extensive Collection, all focussing on the garden in embroidery and designs for embroidery.
As well as pieces from the RSN, work displayed will feature well-known embroidery artists such as Belinda Downes, Owen Davies, Paddy Killer, Thomasina Beck and Tracy A Franklin but also the work of local embroidery groups.
Included in the exhibition will be five extraordinary handbags which will be ‘coming home' for the duration of the exhibition.
The five handbags, all different and exquisity handmade and embroidered, will be returning to Doddington Hall 170 years after they were carried by bridesmaids at a wedding held in the village church, St Peters. The delicate bags, each hand embroidered with floral designs and made for the wedding of Doddington Hall’s current owner Claire Birch’s ancestor in 1839 now belong to the RSN.
Anne Fector Jarvis married John Bromhead at Doddington on 12 December 1839; the Hall was her family home. The handbags were made by each of the bridesmaids, who carried them on the day. Anne Fector Jarvis eventually gave the bags to her daughter who in turn passed them onto her daughter Isobel Mence. When Isobel died the bags were inherited by the Grimshaw family who donated them to the RSN.
Anne was born in Dover on 17 February 1812. She was well known as the founder of the Lincoln Institution of Nurses which she continued to superintend until her death on 7 April 1886. Her husband John Bromhead was responsible for the Bromhead Hospital in London. Anne was the daughter of Lt Col George Ralph Payne Jarvis and Philadelphia Blackwell. He was the first of the Jarvis' to live at Doddington after he inherited the Estate from Sarah Gunman, who he met whilst serving at Dover Castle during the Napoleonic Wars. This means Anne Fector Jarvis was the daughter of Claire Birch’s great great great great great grandfather; a distant great aunt.
Admission to the exhibition, being held in the Long Gallery, is included in the entrance to the House & Gardens. After enjoying the exhibition, visitors are welcome to explore and enjoy the Gardens, which inspired the exhibition, in particular the walled Kitchen Garden and the walled ornamental garden at the West Terrace. For those who would love to learn more about embroidery, a series of talks and workshops provide the perfect opportunity.
‘The English Walled Garden’ Embroidery Exhibition will be at Doddington Hall throughout August 2009 every Sunday, Wednesday and Bank Holiday Monday and also on Wednesday 2 September and Sunday 6 September. Exhibition entry is included in admission to the Hall & Gardens; no additional entrance fee. Private group tours available on request. For more information, please call 01522 694 308 (general information) or 01526 834293 (exhibition information).
ENDS
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