Guildford Kneelers. A history of our time, stitched in wool.
In 1936, Prudence Maufe, wife of the Cathedral architect Sir Edward Maufe, founded the Guildford Cathedral Broderers Guild and led the creation of the Cathedral’s kneelers.
She wanted their designs to follow the theme “a history of our time”.
The result is around 1,600 kneelers, most dating from the 1950s and 1960s, which together form one of the largest collective artworks in Britain.
Around 650 makers are known, and many kneelers carry their initials and the date they were completed. Some are believed to have taken 110 hours to finish.
Each design is divided diagonally, with blue for Stag Hill below and lighter colours for the sky above. The kneelers are worked on Winchester canvas using a durable Tudor technique, in colourful crewel wool, and feature at least 79 stitches.
The subjects reflect ordinary life in post-war Britain, including sport, leisure, and the move from tradition to technological progress. Some show gardening, sewing and laundry work, while others show power stations, pylons, jet aircraft and factories.
A bright red Massey Ferguson tractor appears alongside manual tools still in use.
Janet Matthews, the Cathedral’s chief tour guide, said visitors “would see themselves and their own lives reflected in the cathedral.”
The colours remain bright, and the embroidered fronts need little care beyond the removal of candle wax and the repair of the occasional stitch. Most of the work is on the backs, where tabs are restitched, tears patched, worn panels replaced and old cotton thread renewed with strong polyester.
Spare kneelers are rotated, checked for moths and stored with cedar rings. Chapel kneelers receive less wear and need only regular checks and occasional repairs.
Caring for them brings history close, from wartime ship names to a pin left behind in 1936.
The kneelers show how everyday textiles can hold the names and lives of the people who made them. Each stitch connects a maker from 1936 with those who care for the Cathedral today.
See all of wonderful Threads of Faith entries here.
