Canterbury Cathedral helps unravel medieval material mysteries
Medieval threads are weaving their way into public consciousness again with the Bayeux Tapestry’s arrival in the UK.
The 70-metre-long Medieval embroidery – thought to have been made in Canterbury in the 1070’s – will be on display at the British Museum from 10 September.
This summer Canterbury Cathedral has been helping with a new research project stitching together the story of the imported patterned silks that adorned Medieval Britain.
The Whose Past? project is investigating the origins, materials and later histories of the luxury fabrics found in Medieval Britain, revealing the global network that connected English institutions to textile production in Spain, Byzantium and the Islamic world.
It is being conducted by the College of the Holy Cross in partnership with The National Archives. The multi-year study will result in a summer 2028 conference and subsequent publication.
As part of the investigation, an international team of art historians and heritage scientists have just completed a five-day visit to the Canterbury Cathedral Archives, to study some of the unique Medieval textiles preserved in its collection. These included the Cathedral’s fascinating set of silk seal bags, which were medieval pouches used to protect wax seals – Canterbury’s medieval collection of seal bags is the largest known across Europe.
An object of special focus was the surviving fragment of the dalmatic (a long, wide-sleeved tunic) which belonged to Archbishop Hubert Walter (1160-1205) - one of the more fascinating characters from the Cathedral’s history.
The team struck gold by confirming the presence of this very material in the dalmatic. Although the textile now shows only dull grey metal accents, scientific instruments reveal that the dalmatic once gleamed with gold, adorning the heads and feet of the birds which were woven into the silk. The method of the metal’s application to fabric is just as interesting: an unusual technique, it could challenge the long-held assumption that the textile was produced in Spain, as there is now a strong possibility that it actually came from much farther afield.
Many more questions have been raised and will lead to some exciting answers over the next few years, revealing more about the Medieval world through the textiles that were used and kept at Canterbury Cathedral.
The Cathedral is home to many objects from the Medieval world and is committed to the care and preservation of these items for generations to come. Through exhibitions, displays and loans, and partnerships with research groups - such as Whose Past? - the Cathedral is committed to sharing this history with everyone.
On 17 September 2026 there will be plenty of Medieval musings to chew on when Benjamin Pohl, Professor of Medieval History at the University of Bristol, comes to Cathedral Lodge for a free talk on the Bayeux Tapestry to explore his new interpretation of how the artefact could have been intended as a monastic mealtime aide. This is one of several free Heritage Open Day events being hosted by Canterbury Cathedral between 11-20 September 2026.
Dr. Amanda Luyster, FSA, Lead Investigator of Whose Past? and Associate Professor at College of the Holy Cross, said:
“The Medieval world was often much more expansive, cosmopolitan, and dynamic than we imagine – and textiles associated with Canterbury, from the Bayeux tapestry to Hubert Walter’s dalmatic to a seal bag only a few inches wide, help us to see these historical realities more clearly.”
NOTES TO EDITORS
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Whose Past?
An Exploration of Imported Patterned Silks in Medieval Britain
https://sites.google.com/holycross.edu/whose-past/home
This project relies on small fragments of imported silk to reveal the global nature of material culture in medieval Britain. We identify surviving patterned imported silks from medieval British contexts – including burials, archives, and church treasuries – a task that has not previously been undertaken. We then bring into play a variety of methods, including iconography, weave, and materials analysis (dye and metal thread), to determine each textile fragment’s original place and date of manufacture. Using this data, we map the number of fragments made in different regions, creating, for the first time, a visual representation of medieval Britain’s connection to the rest of the globe, through its use of patterned silks. Our study characterizes specific collections, delineates the composition of the entire body of silks held in Britain, and helps to build a new, scientific understanding of medieval textiles across the globe. Deliverables include a conference in summer 2028, formal publication in book form, and public-facing interpretations of findings to be made available through physical and digital arenas.
Canterbury Cathedral is a global landmark — part of a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the world’s most iconic cultural and spiritual institutions.
Founded by St Augustine in 597 AD, Canterbury Cathedral is a unique place of worship, a major pilgrimage destination, a masterpiece of art and architecture, and one of the UK’s most visited historic sites. Often referred to as ‘England in stone’, the Cathedral has been at the centre of momentous events and upheavals, as well as a resting place of royalty and saints, for more than 1400 years. Its rich history intrinsically is linked to the nation’s story.
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