The Arts and Crafts Movement in the Cotswolds

The Cotswolds became one of the most vibrant rural centres of the Arts and Crafts Movement. Several groups of designers and makers settled in the region, from Ernest Gimson and the Barnsley brothers, to C R Ashbee and his Guild of Handicraft, and designers and artists from the Birmingham School of Art. This talk explores their work, and their impact on the architecture, art and life of the area, looking at all areas of craft from country houses to churches to utopian communities. 

William Morris in the Cotswolds

Designer, poet and socialist William Morris took a lot of inspiration from the Cotswolds and the surrounding area. He was first introduced to the west as a schoolboy at Marlborough, escaping into the Downs whenever he could. Then, in the 1870s, he took on Kelmscott Manor near Lechlade, which became his 'Old House on the Thames'. This talk will explore Morris's relationship with the region, and how it inspired his poetry, design and his ideas of ideal living.

Arts and Crafts in Cotswold Churches

An exploration of the unusually high incidence of Arts and Crafts churches and fittings in the Cotswolds, thanks in part to the many designers who settled here.  This talk will cover churches, church fittings, stained glass and memorials in the Cotswolds and the surrounding area. We’ll examine how Arts and Crafts designers revolutionised church design and adapted to the needs of their patrons. 

Arts and Crafts Stained Glass in Cotswold Churches

The Arts and Crafts Movement was one of the most important design movements in British history. The Cotswolds has many links with the movement, with many designers settling and working in the area. One place you can see lots of Arts and Crafts work is in our churches, and by far the most common item you’ll see is beautiful, glowing stained glass.

An Arts and Crafts Christmas

Gloucestershire was at the heart of the Arts and Crafts Movement, with many artists, architects and craftspeople settling in the area for life. Discover how they spent their Christmases, the carols they sang, and the art they produced as personal gifts for each other - as well as exploring Christmas-based art we can all visit in our churches.

Cotswold Utopias

Kirsty will explore some of the communities in Gloucestershire who took up the challenge of creating craft and living well locally. These include Campden’s own Guild of Handicraft, as well as others such as the Whiteway Community near Stroud, Prinknash Abbey, The Taena community in the Forest of Dean and Rodmarton Manor.

Women in the Arts and Crafts Movement in the Cotswolds 

The Arts and Crafts Movement was one of the first art movements to recognise the artistry and skills of women artists and designers. In the Cotswolds, women designers worked as hard as men – but they are still today not as well-known as their male counterparts.  This talk seeks to put right this situation, exploring embroidery, ceramics, metalwork, stained glass, bookbinding and other ‘suitable’ (or not) crafts, and look at the perceptions of female designers and makers at the time they were producing. 

'Art interwoven with life': Ernest Gimson, a true Arts and Crafts Man

Ernest Gimson was described by Nikolaus Pevsner as ‘the greatest of the English artist-craftsmen’, and yet he is not as well-known as many other Arts and Crafts designers. Definitely not a self-publicist, he lived and worked for most of his adult life in rural Gloucestershire. This talk explores Gimson’s creative process as a designer of buildings, furniture, textiles, metalwork and plaster. It looks, too, at his relationships with other members of the movement. 

From Birmingham to Byzantium: Stories of Ernest and Sidney Barnsley

2026 marks the centenary of the death two of the Cotswolds’ greatest Arts and Crafts architects, the brothers Ernest and Sidney Barnsley. They moved, with their friend Ernest Gimson, to Gloucestershire in the 1890s, and all three stayed here for all their lives. This talk follows their life stories, through travel abroad to their life in the Cotswolds, and also the work they did in Gloucestershire. 

The English Arts and Crafts Movement at its Best?

Ernest Gimson and Sidney and his brother Ernest Barnsley moved to Gloucestershire in the early 1890s to live the simple life in the country and create craft.  They set up craft workshops to make furniture and metalwork in their adopted village of Sapperton, and drew a group of like-minded friends and followers to the area. This talk explores their creative process, and looks into their ideals and what drew their interest in the Cotswolds to inspire their work.

 Arts and Crafts Movement First World War Memorials in the Cotswolds

The Cotswolds have an unusual number of Arts and Crafts memorials, due, in part, to the architects and designers who had settled in the county from the 1890s onwards. This talk will feature designers such as Ernest Gimson, Henry Payne, Edwin Lutyens and F. L. Griggs with a rich array of memorials from church and town alike, crosses to stained glass to water troughs – and all the attendant local politics in erecting them!

Delighting in the Countryside: Gloucestershire's Arts and Crafts Movement artists

Inspired by the craftspeople of the Arts and Crafts Movement already in the area and by the beauty of the Cotswolds, many artists came to settle in the Gloucestershire countryside in the early 20th century; among them, Charles March Gere and Margaret Gere, Henry and Edith Payne, F L Griggs and William Rothenstein. Kirsty explores their interpretations of the natural landscape and the ideals that led the artists to settle here.

Exquisite Embroideries to Glittering Glass

Women’s work has always been in our churches, but never more so than in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. We’ll discover work by women such as Theo Moorman, Veronica Whall, Mary Lowndes, Nora Yoxall and Nan Reid, among many unsung women whose work enriches our churches right up the present day.

Flowers, plants and nature in the Arts and Crafts Movement in the Cotswolds

The Arts and Crafts Movement is well-known for its use of the natural world for inspiration, from William Morris onwards. Here in the Cotswolds designers lived close to nature, getting to know intimately the places they chose for their homes, and drawing on the natural world around them for inspiration across all media. From glittering stained glass to soft plaster, flowers appear, sometimes decorative, sometimes symbolic. We’ll look, too, at the gardens they designed. 

Folk Tales & Legends of the Cotswolds

Discover mysterious, funny and romantic Cotswolds tales - delving into the traditions of Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Bath and much more! Explore the tales told by the folk in the region - greedy kings, flying monks, little folk, big cats and more! Discover what makes the Cotswolds tick! 

Tales of the Saints of the Cotswolds and the Midlands

Join us for an feast of folklore from the heart of England. Discover the mystical legends of the local saints with a side order of cows, pigs, hedgehogs ... and of course vengeance, body snatching, sexual misconduct and war! Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the rich history and culture of this fascinating region. 

Ghosts in the Stones: Supernatural Tales in Gloucestershire

The spirits of history are lurking out there in the countryside and hidden in the buildings of the towns and cities of Gloucestershire. This talk explores some of the country's spooks, and the stories and histories behind them.

Christmas Ghosts: the Tradition of Winter Tales in Gloucestershire and beyond

We've told supernatural tales at midwinter for a very long time. This talk goes back to the earliest winter tales, comes up through the Victorians revisiting of the tradition, and up to the present day, with a focus on Gloucestershire's own midwinter stories.

The Dancing Stones: Folk tales and folk tale collectors in Wiltshire

From the Giant's Dance to the Moonrakers, no stone is left unturned in this talk about Wiltshire's tales and the people who collected them. This talk  looks at a selection of folk tale collectors over the centuries in Wiltshire, including 12th century Geoffrey of Monmouth, 17th century John Aubrey and into the 20th century with Alfred Williams, the Hammerman Poet.

Folk Tales and Legends of Wessex

Discover the ancient - and modern! - folk stories of Wessex - delving into the traditions of Wiltshire, Somerset and Dorset. This talk by folklorist and storyteller Kirsty Hartsiotis explores the tales told by the folk in the region - taking in everything from Stonehenge to the Somerset Levels, to smugglers on the coast and tales of saints, sinners and the Devil!

Tales of the Saints of Wessex

Martyrs, entertainers, kings and princesses - join Kirsty Hartsiotis to discover the saintly history of Wiltshire, Somerset, Dorset, Hampshire and beyond - with a supporting cast of luminaries from King Arthur, King Alfred, the King of the Fairies, oak trees, ash trees, yew trees, and obviously the Devil.

Medieval Stained Glass in the Cotswolds

Explore the development of stained glass in Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and around from the 13th to the 16th centuries. Discover Fairford’s wonderful glass alongside medieval treasures from Gloucester cathedral, glass hidden away in Oxford college chapels, and in our parish churches.

Victorian Stained Glass in the Cotswolds 

The Victorians brought stained glass back with a bang into our churches. Chances are, if you see stained glass in a church today it will be Victorian. Join Kirsty Hartsiotis to explore this often forgotten period, looking at why glass was revived, what fashions drove the changes in style, and what kind of stories the Victorians wanted to tell.

Modern Stained Glass in the Cotswolds

The 20th century saw huge artistic change, and the art of stained glass reflects those changes. From Arts and Crafts glass to the many thoughtful and beautiful pieces by contemporary artist Tom Denny, this talk explores the new directions taken in stained glass in the last 120 years.

Wonderful Wall Paintings

Once upon a time our churches were full of colour and imagery but today often only ghosts of those decorations remain. We are very lucky in the Cotswolds in having exciting schemes of wall paintings from one of the very earliest schemes to survive in Britain at Kempley, terrifying dooms at Mitcheldean and Oddington, to Tudor wall paintings in Gloucester and vivid Victorian art at Highnam – and so much more! 

Ridiculous Monstrosities: a rather too close look at the naughtiest things in Cotswold churches

Why are our medieval churches chock full of naughty, naughty things? Men and women showing off their naughty bits, domestic violence, strange beasts and monsters. What’s going on? Is the world turned upside down? From our very earliest churches, grotesque creatures have guarded our churches , and monsters and shocking scenes are found within! We’ll explore the best – or worst? – of Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds’ most curious church sights in this talk!