HISTORY REIMAGINED IN LINEN AND EGG

Inside the Church of the Holy Cross, which stands in the grounds of Ilam Hall, is a sequence of 12 panels telling the story of the area from prehistory to the present day. Produced by local villagers, it is an exquisite work in a style reminiscent of the famous Bayeux Tapestry. One of the artists involved was organic dairy farmer Sue Prince. Her farm stands 1,000ft (305m) above sea level on the plateau separating Dovedale and the Manifold Valley, but it was a trip to Sweden which provided a new focus for her creative energy. “I discovered an amazing 18th century folk art form that involved creating a tapestry-like effect using recycled linen and a special paint called egg tempera, which cures and sets to form a very durable layer.” Back home, Sue shared the technique with her art class in Ilam, and a few years later, the group decided to use it to create the story of the village. “Before we started our research, we actually measured the church and calculated that we had 18 metres worth of timeline to fill,” says Sue. The project involved 10 local collaborators and took approximately seven months from start to finish. “Each of the participants chose a special theme, such as famous people, transport, flowers or animals, while I focused on bringing it all together through the landscapes and the text,” she says.