On Sunday 24th May, Buckfastleigh came alive with wool, music, creativity, heritage and community spirit as more than 550 people attended the town’s WoolFest.
Organised in partnership with the Wool Hub and our project Share Shed – A Library of Things, the event celebrated Buckfastleigh’s rich textile heritage while creating opportunities for people of all ages to connect, learn new skills and spend time together.
The afternoon began with a Heritage Wool Trail walk through the town, helping participants discover the fascinating history of Buckfastleigh’s wool industry and the important role serge weaving once played in shaping the local economy and community.
Throughout the afternoon visitors had the opportunity to try traditional crafts including spinning, weaving and felting, meet friendly alpacas, listen to live music and community singing, and hear inspiring talks exploring local heritage and flax-growing traditions.
One of the highlights of the day was seeing so many children and families getting hands-on with traditional crafts, often for the very first time. The event created space not only for learning heritage skills, but also for conversations, curiosity and connection between generations.
The programme featured a beautiful performance by the Circle of Song Community Choir, a fascinating talk from Sophie Scanlon about the Devon Grows Flax Project, and an engaging presentation from Anne Gouldorn of the Valiant Soldier Museum exploring the history of Buckfastleigh’s serge weaving industry and the role of John Hamlyn in establishing links with Bradford that helped the industry thrive.
Although the planned sheep driving and sheep shearing demonstrations sadly had to be cancelled due to illness, attendees embraced the many other activities on offer, and the atmosphere throughout the afternoon remained warm, lively and welcoming.
WoolFest was also an opportunity to highlight the importance of community spaces, local heritage and practical sustainability initiatives. Visitors were able to learn more about the Share Shed – South Devon’s Library of Things – which enables people to borrow useful items at low cost, reducing waste while strengthening community resilience.
Events like WoolFest demonstrate the power of bringing people together around creativity, culture and shared local stories. At the Network of Wellbeing, we believe strong communities play a vital role in supporting wellbeing, and it was wonderful to see so many people connecting, learning and celebrating together.
A huge thank you goes to all the volunteers, performers, speakers, exhibitors, funders, community partners and attendees who helped make the day such a success.
To find out more about the Wool Hub and support their crowdfunding campaign, visit:
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-keep-the-wool-hub-spinning-for-our-community-1
