Industrial And Transport

Flax Forward - From land to linen and beyond - Telling the story of a plant, a town and a landscape.

This community-led project will celebrate Bridport’s flax-growing heritage while exploring the potential of locally grown, natural materials for a sustainable future. The project will seek out, gather and collate knowledge from heritage collections, archives and a wide range of community sources. Kickstarted through a community research phase we will uncover lost flax infrastructure, memories, and oral histories. Adding to heritage data and making the story of Flax in the Bridport Area more accessible. Alongside community research we will provide hands-on, practical education in the cultivation and processing of flax. Community volunteers will work together to design and make a “Bridport Dress” using locally grown and processed Flax. Exhibitions and events will celebrate heritage and share it with wider audiences. By combining practical craft with heritage research and creative interpretation, the project will strengthen connections between people and their town highlighting how understanding the past can inspire the present.