Weavers Cottages
- 8th September 2017
Three recently renovated historic cottages are up for sale by public auction on Tuesday 12th September.
Over the past few years The Worcestershire Building Preservation Trust have been working on rescuing and restoring these historic buildings. They are described their listed building status as “three houses with attic workshops dating from the mid and late 18th century with later alterations”, “…these buildings, which combine domestic and workshop functions are rare survivals from the period associated with the domestic worsted weaving industry in Kidderminster”.
They are rare surviving examples of early weavers cottages, which would have been common in Kidderminster in the past. Before the carpet industry, weavers made black cloth called Bombazine on small looms upstairs in their own homes. At the time the town was famous for this cloth.
1780 Map of Kidderminster by Sherriff, BA2838-5.
At the start of the project one of our archaeologists, Tim, went and recorded the cottages before preservation work took place, so that an accurate plan of the cottages was made.
As the project progressed we visited Kidderminster to provide workshops, to attend open days with archives and archaeological objects relating to the area, all to help people find out more about the Horse Fair and help them research into the history of their own homes.
Plan of The Cock Inn from an 1853 deed. The Inn adjoined the cottages. BA10470-94
We also searched the archive and supplied images and information to go in an education resource to help schools discover the local history of the Horse Fair and the inhabitants of the cottages. Through census, parish registers, wills and deeds we were able to provide the history of the people who occupied the cottages. It was a great example of how bringing together lots of small references can help tell a fascinating story.
You can find out more about the cottages at http://www.weaverscottages.info/
WAAS display at an open day
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