Bradford Cathedral will offer guided tours of its Ecclesiastical Textiles collection on Saturday 24th January, giving visitors the chance to see rare and historically significant works that are not usually on display.
The tours will feature a selection of exquisite textiles, including pieces by Morris & Co., the Leek Embroidery Society, and Bradford-born embroiderer Louisa Pesel. One of Pesel’s altar frontals, recently highlighted on BBC One’s Antiques Roadshow, will be among the works on view.
Attendees will also encounter textiles by Bradford artist Ernest Sichel and contemporary designer Polly Meynell. The collection spans centuries, offering insight into both historical craftsmanship and modern approaches to ecclesiastical textile design. Some pieces, such as the Khartoum Altar Frontal by the Leek Embroidery Society, are rarely displayed due to their delicate nature.
The tours are led by historian Maggie Myers, Bradford Cathedral’s Director of Education and Visitors. She said: “Join us as we tour the Cathedral, seeing these stunning textiles in situ – some of which are rarely on display – and hearing the fascinating stories behind them. The Cathedral is such a lovely building, with so many wonderful features and stories. This is a rare opportunity to focus on its fascinating textiles and to get up close to them in order to appreciate them fully.”
Visitors will be able to explore the cathedral’s architecture alongside the textiles, gaining an understanding of the artistic and historical context in which the pieces were created. Highlights include an altar frontal worked on by shell-shocked soldiers during World War One, designed by Louisa Pesel, reflecting both the personal and historical significance of the collection.
The Ecclesiastical Textiles’ Tours will run on Saturday 24th January 2025, with two sessions: 11am and 1pm. Tickets cost £7 each, plus a booking fee.
