The Spinners’ sculpture forms part of the Beverley Town Trail which comprises 39 unique pieces of art that tell the story of the guilds and crafts that made the town one of the richest in Medieval England. The artworks, which have been created by artist Chris Wormald, will lead visitors from North Bar to Beckside, taking them on a journey of discovery into Beverley’s fascinating history.
The sculpture represents the spinning trade which was a part in one of Medieval England’s largest industries: the clothing industry. A spinner was a tool used to spin raw wool into useable material such as linen and cotton and there was one in practically every house in Beverley.
The intertwining spirals giving a sense of a moving circle and the twirling thread of time. Scripture is etched on the spirals taken from an early 1880’s verse by a Bridlington poet who was writing about life in the countryside. It is located close to Dyer Lane where the wool linen would have been taken to be dyed.
The Beverley Town Trail will be a significant addition to the visitor experience of Beverley and will help raise the profile of this captivating town even further. It will provide yet another reason for people to visit Beverley thereby providing a boost to the local economy.
Part of the third wave of installations for the trail, the Spinners’ sculpture accompanies several other artworks that have been installed as part of this phase of the project:
• A sculpture in a floral garden plot to the north of the Minster to represent the masonry industry. This piece shows examples of the individual markings masons used to identify the work they had carved and paid for.
• An engraving of a stretched hide – a part of the process of tanning – on Flemingate. Tanning was an important industry in Beverley fro hundreds of years with the last tannery closing in 1986.
• Feathers set in an iron gate on Eastgate, which leads to what was the once the Dominican Friary. This sculpture represents the friars – who were often called ravens due to the black cloaks they wore – as well as the quills of scriveners: writers of official documents.
• A pavement plaque with an etching of a water mill on Flemingate. It is thought there were three mills in Beverley on the Beverley Beck/River Hull.
The town trail will be completed and launched on Sunday 11th July a day of music, plays and family entertainment that everyone can enjoy. A 40th sculpture, acknowledging the partnership of eleven Beverley and village schools, and 720 schoolchildren whose workshops helped with the design of some of the sculptures, will be added later.
Above: Artist Chris Wormald, Below the Spinners’ sculpture being lowered into place
