Environment - Dent Head viaduct

I'm not sure where this cross stitch of Dent Head viaduct, stitched by Christine Pitchfork, was going to be used but it is included in the book with the pieces from the Environment panel. At least the real thing is in use as part of the Settle to Carlisle Railway.

After writing about the Gascoigne canal not coming to fruition I was sent a quote about another failed attempt at linking towns in Yorkshire with various forms of transport.

"A quarter of a mile above the Wharfe road bridge in Tadcaster, an imposing viaduct of eleven arches spans the River Wharfe.

This was built as part of a projected direct Leeds to York railway promoted by the industrialist George Hudson through the York & North Midland Railway. The construction of the line was authorised in 1846. It was to run from Copmanthorpe to Cross Gates, joining the Church Fenton to Harrogate railway line between Tadcaster and Stutton.

The collapse of railway investment in 1849 lead to the line being abandoned after the viaduct had been constructed. The need for the line evaporated with the opening of the Micklethorpe to Church Fenton line in 1869.

Extract from Tadcaster historical information dated 1890 - "About a quarter-of-a-mile above the road bridge is a handsome viaduct of eleven arches spanning the Wharfe. This was erected whilst George Hudson was the ruling spirit in the railway world, but with the collapse of the "Railway King" the line, which was intended to connect Tadcaster with York, was abandoned. The viaduct was subsequently purchased by the North-Eastern Railway Co."

Between 1883 and 1959 the viaduct carried a siding that serviced a mill on the East side of the River Wharfe. The last time the viaduct was used to fetch and carry goods was in 1955. The structure is now a Grade II Listed Building owned by Tadcaster Town Council for the use and pleasure of the local people."

Quite an expensive mistake.

There's a whole host of disused viaducts, tunnels etc on the Forgotten Relics of an Enterprising Age website.

Leeds in Bloom - Elizabeth Bidgood's Garden

Sometimes the link between embroiderer and subject is even closer (see yesterday's post). Elizabeth Bidgood stitched her garden for the Leeds in Bloom panel. She regularly opens it to the public to raise money for charities and sponsored hers and Temple Newsam's on the Tapestry.

I met her, in her role as Chairman of the Leeds Horticultural Society, at the Flower Show yesterday and she said that the garden is much altered now from the depiction on the panel.

Many techniques were used in stitching this piece including cross stitch, hand stitching and, I suspect, a few french knots.

Faith in the City - Mill Hill Chapel

The building is the only survivor in City Square from before 1893. It replaced the earlier chapel of 1674 where Joseph Priestley was the minister in the late eighteenth century. His statue, appropriately faces over City Square to the chapel and there are several memorials within which have survived from the earlier building of 1674.

Designed by Bowman and Crowther of Manchester between 1847 and 1848, it was apparently known at one time as the 'mayor's nest' when it provided four Dissenting mayors in five years.

When the new Mill Hill Chapel was opened it had a congregation of over 1,000. Many of the present congregation helped Margaret Cordell in sewing this piece in cross stitch.

Leeds in Bloom - Brethericks

Kathleen Bretherick was Kate's local florist. She not only sponsored this piece on the panel but encouraged the Harewood Ladies to join in. Word of mouth was usually the most successful way to get people involved. It seems the business has now closed, so I quote below from the old website.

We are one of the longest established flower shops in Leeds, UK and celebrated 60 years in business in 2006. The business was started by Kath and Ron Bretherick and is now run by their daughter Sandra Moss and granddaughter Carla Moss. Sandra Moss is a Chief Examiner for Society of Floristry, which is the awarding body for the Floristry examinations at the highest level. She has taught floristry and still teaches flower arranging to individuals and groups. Bretherick's has been a member of Interflora since 1960 and has exhibited at the Chelsea Flower Show, London. We have decorated many venues for dinners where Royalty and High profile personalities have been present.

The piece was cross stitched by Kath and the staff at the shop.

We don't seem to have a detailed photograph of the tulips, and no note of who made them.

Sunflower by Margaret Foxcroft. She moved away from Leeds and sent a parcel of needleweaving treasures from time to time.

Sunflower by Gill Cook, cut fabric with french knots.

Ivy leaves machine stitched by Freda Copley.

Needleweaving ivy leaves by Shirley Shaw.

Leeds in Bloom - Harewood Arms

Kath Bretherick introduced a group of embroiderers from Harewood willing to stitch the Harewood Arms; Mrs Parnaby, Mrs Marshall, Mrs Armstrong, Mrs Hedley, Mrs Sutcliffe, Mrs Peel and Mrs Newby. They in turn suggested the Countess, as an experienced needlewoman, may be willing to get involved, which lead to her becoming a Patron of the Tapestry.

Ann Wheatley chartered the building for petit point (12 hours)

And many others were involved in embroidering flowers using various techniques to surround the piece.

Cross stitch flower border by Ruth Fowler and Lynne Ward

Primrose by Margaret Foxcroft (needleweaving)

Pink flower by unknown embroiderer (needleweaving)

Yellow flower by Shirley Gale (needleweaving)

Primroses by Margaret Foxcroft (needleweaving)

Leeds in Bloom - Coronation House

In 1911 the Council demolished the old conservatory in the kitchen garden of Roundhay Hall and built the Coronation House. It was rebuilt in 1939 and again in 1984 when the ‘Tropical World ‘ theme was introduced. It has recently been closed for further redevelopment, opening in 2001 to queues of people. Its hard to believe that in the late c19, when John Barran fought to buy Roundhay Park for the city, that his critics called it ‘Barran’s Folly’ because of its great distance from Leeds and its people and that there were schemes to build a railway to provide access.

I think this was written in 2001. More changes have been made since then, including a new enclosure for the very popular meerkats. Well worth a visit.


This piece was chartered by Penny Babbington and stitched by Catherine Davies, a member of the Embroiderer's Guild @ Leeds. The techniques used were blackwork and cross stitch.

Faith in the City - Chevin Cross

Today's offering is the Cross at Otley

Otley Council of Christian Churches installed the first Chevin Cross in 1969. The current cross was made of timber salvaged from Manchester’s Arndale Centre after the IRA bombing and first used in 2000.

The monument is 32 feet by 16 feet and requires at least 40 volunteers to raise it each year.

The printed fabric was hand stitched in long and short by Olive Hudson and Gwen Woolliscroft in a total of 45 hours.

Leeds in Bloom - Ainsley's

Lady Day and a friend's birthday, so thought I would send virtual flowers and cakes via Mrs Ainsley. It could so easily have been an embroidery of some form of public transport!

Victor Ainsley opened his first shop at Headingley, Leeds, in 1938. Over the next 30 years he worked with his wife May to expand the business. They specialised in fresh-from-the-oven bread and cakes and were among the first bakers to capitalise on the take-away sandwich market. In 2009 there were 29 shops but at the end of the year the company went into administration.

Jill Rutter wrote this when she had completed the figure

"I first heard about the Leeds Tapestry in an article in a local newspaper in April 1994. The idea of the Tapestry intrigued me, but I did not have any spare time to get involved then.
Some years later when Leeds Girls' High School decided to hold a workshop to stitch figures for the tapestry, I decided to get involved. The workshop was fascinating - how to stitch real people using photographs as a guide. First of all I stitched my daughter, Emma, as she was a pupil at the school. Then I stitched my son, Simon, and also two oriental girls. My husband's pharmacy business sponsored part of the Civic Pride panel.
Some time later I was asked if I would stitch the figure of Mrs Ainsley for the Leeds in Bloom panel. I was delighted to do this as both my own and my husband's family were friends of hers. The figure took many hours to complete (32), and the details were stitched as accurately as possible using a photograph as a guide.
I would have liked to have done more stitching for the tapestry but unfortunately my husband's business was undergoing major reorganisation, and this and family commitments took over all my spare time. As one's children get more independent, unfortunately one's parents get less so"

Ann Wheatley worked on the charting for the building and Lizzie Ingle did the cross stitch.