Rag rug making in the Land of Lead and Silver

6 December 2024

Blog by artist, Leanne Bain

On this project I thought it would be nice to not just concentrate on the history of the local lead miners but their families’ way of life too. Each household would almost always have had a new rag rug in the process of being made from old fabric scraps. Over a six-week course, between June and August 2024, I decided to teach and support project participants to create their very own small rag rug using traditional techniques.

I really enjoyed doing my research for this project, talking with local miners and their families, visiting Killhope, Nenthead and Beamish, as well as reading relevant books. I also worked closely with The Weardale Museum, who very kindly loaned some original rugs and tools for me to display for inspiration and reference during my course sessions .

In the first week I showed a couple of original Clippy rugs and tools loaned from The Weardale Museum as well as some old potato sacks and an old woollen coat to show everyone what rag rugs are and what they would have been made from. I also took along a collection of fluorspar (pretty bits, as the miners would call them), which had been put together to make up part of a spa box in a neighbour’s wall, an old miner’s pickaxe lent by a friend, and some pieces of galena.

We spent time looking at these objects – talking about their history, what they all were, and what it must have been like for the miners and their families. Then I demonstrated some of the original rug making techniques for everyone to practise with some cuttings and a square of hessian fabric.

Over the next week everyone thought about the design they would like to make on their rug inspired by the lead mines and the surrounding landscape. Then in the second week everyone attached the hessian fabric to the frames, drew on their designs, and picked their fabrics.

Each week I would take along a different rug loaned from the museum, some fluorspar, books, and photos about the mines, the people and the surrounding landscape. While making the rugs, we would look at the photos and share stories. A couple of participants borrowed some books to read in their own time which they really enjoyed. People also brought in items to share with the group. For instance, the father of one person used to be a saddler and made the collars for the pit ponies, so she brought a miniature version he had made as a keepsake for his wife.

Everyone really enjoyed coming along to the sessions, learning a new skill, and sharing stories with each other. Over the weeks the group produced some lovely rugs, wall hangings, and cushions. They learned the skills needed to make their own traditional Clippy/Proggy mat so that they are all now able to produce their own rugs without any extra guidance. Also, we all learned a lot more about our local area and the history behind it, as well as what life was like for a miner’s wife in the 18th century.

The rag rug making workshops were part of the 2024 community arts programme for the Land of Lead and Silver project, funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England.

The 2025 community arts bursaries applications will open in January 2025.