Silken Sensibility
A collaboration between Jane Austen’s House and a silk mill not far from the author’s birthplace is helping to breathe new life into the critically endangered craft of silk ribbon weaving. The collaboration will see Whitchurch Silk
Mill (01256 892065, whitchurchsilkmill. org.uk) design and produce silk ribbons, inspired by Jane Austen’s House (01420 83262, janeaustens.house) and objects in its collection.
Jane Austen’s House in the picturesque Hampshire village of Chawton is one of the most important literary sites in the world. It was in this inspiring cottage that Jane’s genius flourished and where she wrote, revised, and had published all six of her novels: Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion. Today, Jane Austen’s House, where the author spent sent the last eight years of her life, is a cherished museum with an unparalleled collection of treasures including personal letters and first editions of her novels, items of jewellery, portraits of her friends and family, and the tiny writing table at which she wrote her much loved novels.
Earlier this year, silk ribbon weaving was listed as a critically endangered craft and added to the Red List by the Heritage Craft Association. There are only four silk ribbon weavers left in the UK, with Whitchurch Silk Mill – six miles from Jane’s birthplace in Steventon – employing one of them. In the past, ribbons woven at Whitchurch Silk Mill have featured in many well-known films and television shows including Sense & Sensibility, and Titanic.
During 2024, visitors will have the chance to see the silk ribbons in production at the mill during the winding, warping and weaving phases. Parts of the project will be online via Jane Austen’s House and Whitchurch Silk Mill’s social media platforms and the mill’s website.