Pinkie Cleugh Battle Tapestry in the making ...

New tapestry will commemorate the 1547 Battle of Pinkie Cleugh Musselburgh

[History Scotland reports:] It's being designed by Andrew Crummy, our Cockenzie based artist behind the Battle of Prestonpans, Great History of Scotland and The Scottish Diaspora tapestries.

It will commemorate the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh, which took place on the banks of the River Esk in Musselburgh on 10 September 1547 and was the largest battle ever fought on Scottish soil.

The campaign to Scotland began after King Henry VIII's attempts to secure an alliance with Scotland through the marriage of his young son, later King Edward VI, to the infant Mary Queen of Scots failed. The battle was part of the conflict known as the Rough Wooing, and is considered to be the first modern battle in the British Isles. It was a catastrophic defeat for Scotland at the hands of the English led by The Duke of Somerset.

The Battle of Pinkie Cleugh Trust is determined to make sure this pitched battle between Scottish and English armies in which 10,000 men were killed, is not forgotten.

The Pinkie Cleugh Tapestry was officially launched last month at the Old Town Hall in Musselburgh with apperances from guest speakers Andrew Crummy and Melissa Viguier from the School of Ancient Crafts.

Inspired by the Marian Hangings
The tapestry will be loosely based on the Marian Hangings stitched by Mary Queen of Scots herself whilst held captive in England by her cousin Queen Elizabeth I. That is surely a brilliant inspiration for this new artwork and, of course, so relevant. See the V&A Collection LINKED HERE. It's all on display today with the National Trust @ Oxburgh Hall, Norfolk.

It will be a series of embroideries hung on velvet and is planned to be housed at the Brunton Hall. Melissa Viguier and a team of Edinburgh stitchers crafted a complete replica of the Marian Hangings, which can be seen at Edinburgh Castle LINKED HERE

“I am very excited about this project,” said Andrew Crummy. “It will be very different from the other tapestries I have worked on. We are hoping it will be a great opportunity for the excellent stitchers of Musselburgh to join in what will be a massive work of public art that should be on permanent display in the town.”

The Pinkie Cleugh Battlefield Trust has already secured £10,000 from the Musselburgh Common Good Fund, which will pay for the first phase of the tapestry, and chief stitcher Liz Neilson will lead the work on this important venture for the town. “I am delighted to be a part of this project which will be a huge thing for Musselburgh,” Liz Neilson said.



“We have been working with a group of women who are new to stitching and already have produced some lovely work. Musselburgh has some amazing stitchers who have worked on many of Andrew’s earlier tapestries. We are inviting and encouraging anyone who wants to join in this huge community artwork to come along to the launch and get stitching.”
A decisive turning point

Roger Knox, the Chairman of Pinkie Cleugh Battlefield Group, says, "Pinkie Cleugh was a decisive turning point in Scottish history, but it remains surprisingly little known. We hope that the making and hanging of the tapestry will encourage the local community and others to visit the site of the battle, much of which can still be viewed as it was almost 500 years ago.”

How to get involved … If you would like join the volunteer stitchers or find out more about the project, contact chief stitcher Liz Neilson and for more information visit the Group's Facebook page.