March 30, 2011 10.24 am This story is over 156 months old

Castle and Cathedral huddle for craft fair

Traditional skills: A fair will showcase the importance of centuries-old crafts in a historic setting.

Lincoln Castle and Cathedral will be hosting a traditional craft fair in May.

Traditional craftspeople in the region have been invited to showcase their skills at A Thousand Years of Traditional Crafts on May 21.

The event hopes to raise awareness of why these crafts are still valuable and needed in the 21st century.

So far thatchers, masons, blacksmiths, weavers and stained glass workers have expressed interest in the event.

Those wanting to visit the event can buy a special “2 for 1” ticket, which allows entry into both the Castle and Cathedral for the price of one.

County Councillor Eddy Poll said: “It’s vitally important that the future maintenance of our historic buildings is secured by developing and passing on these heritage skills.

“Demonstrations will be absolutely key to the event, whether it be mud and stud, stonemasonry, thatching, blacksmithing or the myriad other skills to be found in the East Midlands.

“This event is all about letting people see these skills in action so they realise how important they are. If you’re someone who’s involved in heritage skills, we hope you’ll be interested in taking part.”

The event will happen after the annual US heritage skills conference of the Preservation Trades Network om May 19 and 20, which is being hosted by Lincoln Cathedral.

Cathedral Works Department Manager Carol Heidschuster said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase what Lincolnshire can do.

“The cathedral and county council have increasingly been working together on the heritage skills agenda, but this is our very first public event and we are very excited about it.”

Source: Lincolnshire County Council | Photo: Adele Claire