The Witney Yarn mosaic

Created by professional artist Rob Turner, the circular mosaic sited in Marriotts Walk, Witney, is inspired by our rich local history with particular focus on the wool industry.

Each quarter of the mosaic refers broadly to four time periods: Early history / Medieval / Industrial revolution / Modern era:

We begin with an idyllic Cotswolds scene featuring Anglo Saxon houses known as grub huts, 'Cotswold Lion' sheep and the Rollright Stones near Chipping Norton.
The next section shows some of the tools used in the early days of the wool trade - carding combs, spinning wheel and loom - and the Blanket Hall, headquarters to the Witney Company of Blanket Weavers.
We then move forward in history, and see how the wool was transported, not only locally but across the world. The traditional way was by horse and cart. Witney famously produced the point blanket and exported it to Canada trading mainly with Native American Indians via the Hudson Bay Company. The Buttercross also features, a key market place in Witney since the late 17th Century.
Moving around the mosaic brings us to the Column of Victory at Blenheim Palace and Bliss Mill in Chipping Norton. Hats and gloves were made locally - traditional by-products of the wool industry. Industries supplying the motor and aviation industries were also based locally.
The very last images of the mosaic bring us right up to date - notice a mini map of the Marriotts Walk development - an earth mover and a crane.