SOFT RADIANCE

A delicate icing of hoar frost coats the historic cottages of picture-postcard Arlington Row in the village of Bibury, Gloucestershire. A popular visitor attraction, the buildings date back to 1380; originally a monastic wool store and later converted into a row of weavers’ homes. Today, they are owned by the National Trust. The cloth produced would be hung to dry on racks in the water meadow opposite the cottages, which became known as Rack Isle. It would then be transported to Arlington mill for fulling: a process which involves cleansing the cloth to eliminate its oils and dirt. Nestled either side of the River Colne, the Cotswold village is considered quintessentially English, described by the British textile designer, poet and novelist William Morris as ‘The most beautiful village in England’.