Visitors and local residents are being invited to step back in time this summer to discover part of Newtown’s rich industrial history at a free town attraction.
Newtown Textile Museum on Commercial Street has something of interest to everyone whether it’s Tapestry Tuesdays, watching a weaver in action or learning about the town’s mail order pioneer Pryce Pryce Jones who supplied knickers to Queen Victoria.
Tapestry Tuesdays run from 12pm to 4pm every week where families can get involved in making a small woven item using a cardboard weaving frame and oddments of wool. It’s a relaxed drop in session which runs until August 26.
Weaver in residence Emma Allin-Thomas will show visitors how looms were used in the past.
The museum has recreated how families lived in the early 19th century and there’s even a chance to dress up like Welsh weavers.
Visitors can also see haberdashery and clog shops of the period and check out the museum’s small shop which sells lots of locally sourced wool and weaving related items – from cute, knitted birds to Welsh woven bags and pencil cases.
The museum is open on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturdays until the end of September from 12pm to 4pm. Check newtowntextilemuseum.co.uk , Facebook or Instagram pages for future events.
Housed in an original handloom weaving factory, built in the 1830s, the volunteer-run museum brings to life Newtown’s industrial heritage, showing how people lived and worked in the building and the processes involved in turning fleece into flannel.
In addition, industries linked to wool – tanning, clog making and drapers’ shops, including the Pryce Jones family who pioneered mail order – are also featured.
Newtown was the centre for handloom weaving in the 1830s and the museum is the last of 82 such buildings remaining in anything like its original condition.
The original handloom weaving factory comprised six back to back cottages with each having one room each on the ground and first floors to house up to 10 people. The two floors above, which ran the whole length of the building, housed the looms.
The museum has an exhibition of photographs taken by John Owen, Newtown’s first professional photographer. The photographs include some of the town and surrounding countryside as well as many portraits.
The museum is a member of MWT Cymru, an independent organisation representing more than 600 tourism and hospitality businesses across Powys, Ceredigion and Southern Eryri (Snowdonia).
