We visit Benthall Hall near Broseley, to see the exhibition in conjunction with the Severn Arts Trail. There is a number of items that take inspiration from the local area.
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00:00So we're here at Benthal Hall, National Trust property, and you're taking part in the Seven Arts Trail, guys?
00:05Yes we are.
00:06Both crafters, so we've got Julie on the jewellery, and Steve on the wood carving, as well as a volunteer gardener, Steve.
00:15That's me, yeah.
00:16So where do you both live, guys?
00:18We live in Benthal.
00:20That's handy then, innit?
00:22Not together.
00:24So Julie, let's start with you. How long have you been making jewellery?
00:28I've been doing it for six years now.
00:30Yeah, and what got you into it then, Julie?
00:32It's always been a hobby, and then when I left school I was made redundant, so I decided to set up my own business.
00:39Fantastic.
00:40And move into making jewellery full time.
00:43Yeah, and you use a rather special material, Benthal Blue. Now I'd never heard of that, so just fill us in on what is Benthal Blue?
00:52So Benthal Blue is things that we find around Shropshire, and all the locals know that it's on footpaths and pathways and in fields.
01:00And it's the old waste products from the iron industry.
01:05When they used to cast the iron and the impurities would rise to the surface, they'd tap off the impurities and they'd cast all the waste around the fields and, as I say, in all the tracks and roadways.
01:18Apparently it was quite hard-wearing, wasn't it? So it'd be quite useful for tracks and that kind of thing.
01:22That's right.
01:23Hence why it pops up here, there and everywhere.
01:24Yes, that's right.
01:25So Benthal Blue, to your knowledge, no one else has been using that in jewellery, have they?
01:30No, that's right, and we called it that because I volunteer at Benthal Hall, and I also live and work there as well.
01:36Yeah, and just talk us through Benthal Blue. If you show us a little piece then. You were saying that you can tell different colours symbolise different things?
01:45So this is a piece of stone that's been cut and sliced before it's actually cut into the cabochons.
01:51And then when the cabochons are cut, I make the jewellery.
01:55So each piece is completely different. We never know what we're going to get.
02:00We could have very pale olive colours and black, or it could be the solid blue or with inclusions in with the pale blue as well.
02:09It's a lovely stone, isn't it?
02:13Every piece is completely different. So it's truly recycled.
02:18Fantastic. And Steve, let's have a look. This is some of your woodwork, isn't it? We'll show a few more bits on the video.
02:25Lovely stuff.
02:26Yeah, I made all these.
02:27So how long have you been into your woodwork then, Steve?
02:30About three or four years. Started during lockdown.
02:35And where are you sourcing your wood from? Little Bird tells me it's kind of a lot of it off the estate, isn't it?
02:40Yeah. We chop down trees and things.
02:43Yeah.
02:44We recycle bits of wood.
02:47What sort of wood would we find on the estate then that's quite good for carving?
02:52What sort of types of wood would we find?
02:54For turning the yew. I quite like turning the yew. That's quite pretty wood.
02:59Yeah.
03:00Ash, that's good as well.
03:02Fantastic.
03:03And we're in the chapel here at Benful Hall, the National Trust property.
03:09How long are you open as part of the Seven Arts Trail? When's it open?
03:12So we're here until Sunday, until 5pm on Sunday. We're open at 10 o'clock every day. 10 till 5.
03:18Fantastic. And there's quite a few interesting little crafts and willow artists.
03:23And I believe the willow's from the estate as well, is it? Some of it.
03:26Some of it, yeah. We have some willow here, yes.
03:29So get yourselves down to Benful Hall Chapel and check it out, folks. Thank you.