{"id":2191397,"date":"2026-10-11T05:35:34","date_gmt":"2026-10-11T02:35:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2191397"},"modified":"2026-10-11T05:35:34","modified_gmt":"2026-10-11T02:35:34","slug":"cant-see-the-bayeux-tapestry-see-our-higham-ferrers-mapestry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2191397","title":{"rendered":"‘Can’t see the Bayeux Tapestry? See our Higham Ferrers Mapestry’"},"content":{"rendered":"

[analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/1024\/branded_news\/06a5\/live\/e8eed7c0-c199-11f1-8fa2-19a1e9b6288f.jpg”]<\/p>\n

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\"GarethGareth Hughes<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
The Mapestry of Higham Ferrers was created by the Material Girls<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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A small Northamptonshire town is hoping to capitalise on the country’s current fascination with the Bayeux Tapestry. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Canny tourism officers in Higham Ferrers say the town’s own impressive hand-sewn “Mapestry”, which showcases landmarks and buildings, could provide a visual alternative.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The 1.5m (4.9ft) work, made from recycled material, was designed by retired art teacher Fay Caddick, who worked on the project with a group of friends known as The Material Girls.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Liz Barnatt, chair of the Higham Ferrers tourism business and community partnership, said: “We said to everyone, this is our Bayeux Tapestry, it’s just a great way to promote our town and how it was produced.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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She said that when they first heard the Bayeux Tapestry was coming to London, “we jumped on it”. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Work began on the Mapestry in 2009 and took three years to complete.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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It features well-known buildings in Higham Ferrers, including St Mary’s Church, The Bede House, the Market Square, the Belgium House, Chichele College and the Griffin Inn. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Barnatt added: “It looks stunning, it’s an absolute credit to the ladies who did it.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\"ReutersReuters<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
The 70m (230ft)-long 11th Century Bayeux Tapestry is being loaned to the British Museum and is currently on display<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The inspiration for the Higham Ferrers Mapestry came from librarian Lynne Curnutte, before Caddick set about designing the piece and its layout and content.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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It first went on display at the town’s library and was then moved to Henry Chichele Primary School.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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However, due to “wear and tear” and being open to the elements, the town council was asked to retrieve it. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“Fay then oversaw the restoration and after six months of repairs it needed a new home”, Barnatt said. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“The Hope Methodist Church has a big area in its entrance hall, so we thought it would look great there, so we got it moved.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The piece was later framed and unveiled to the public in October 2025.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\"GarethGareth Hughes<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
The handmade Mapestry contains detailed features of local landmarks and buildings, including Higham Ferrers Town Hall<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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A spokesperson for the town council said: “Our wonderful Higham Ferrers Mapestry celebrates the town’s history through fabric, thread, appliqu\u00e9 and embroidery, featuring some of the town’s historic buildings and landmarks. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“Created by a team of talented friends known as the Material Girls, this unique 1.5-metre artwork took several years and countless stitches to complete.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\"RobertRobert Barnatt<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Susan Allen and Fay Caddick, Prof Peregrine Holden and Carol Fitzgerald at the unveiling of the Mapestry in its new home in October 2025<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\"GarethGareth Hughes<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Higham Ferrers Tourism said it was proud to show of its history<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Do you have a story suggestion for Northamptonshire? Contact us below.<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Follow Northamptonshire news on <\/i>BBC Sounds<\/i>, <\/i>Facebook<\/i>, <\/i>Instagram<\/i> and <\/i>X<\/i>.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n

[analyse_source url=”https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/cmlyr77nqqxxo”]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/1024\/branded_news\/06a5\/live\/e8eed7c0-c199-11f1-8fa2-19a1e9b6288f.jpg”] Gareth Hughes The Mapestry of Higham Ferrers was created by the Material Girls A small Northamptonshire town is hoping to capitalise on the country’s current fascination with the Bayeux Tapestry. Canny tourism officers in Higham Ferrers say the town’s own impressive hand-sewn “Mapestry”, which showcases landmarks and buildings, could provide a visual […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[35],"class_list":["post-2191397","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-bbc-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2191397","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2191397"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2191397\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2191397"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2191397"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2191397"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}