Arts & Crafts on the Midlands Meander

2024 marked the 39th Anniversary of the founding of the Midlands Meander Association. The Midlands Meander offers a country respite from the fast pace of city life, as well as showcasing some of the best arts and crafts in the world.

Things began on a summer’s evening at Caversham Mill in 1985, when the Shuttleworths, who were weavers; Robin and Joy Standing, potters; Ian Glenny and Kali Griffin, potters; Wim, a painter and Tina de Roubaix, a batik artist; Leonie Malherbe and Lindsay Scott, potters and David and Michelle Walters, also potters, met to discuss how to work together and to market their work jointly. They decided to invite the public to visit artists in their countryside studios twice a year at Rolling Exhibitions. Both the idea of the Meander and member numbers grew. Thirty nine years on, the Meander is known worldwide for its superb handcrafted goods and fine arts. It excels in “slow tourism”, where the emphasis is on the experience of the Meander community in the beautiful countryside – and the welcoming Midlands folk.

Our visitors, friends and guests come to the Meander to escape: to immerse themselves in the country experience – seeking the authentic, the genuine. They value the opportunity to go to the studios or workshops of some of the finest craftspeople in the world, to meet with them, to talk to the artist or the leatherworker who has made a unique and original item that is priceless and can never be duplicated.

Please Note: Midlands artists are frequently in their studios, and so it is necessary to phone ahead to book an appointment if you wish to meet with them – their entries are marked accordingly.

Routes 1 & 2

Routes 3 & 4

Routes 5

The Wine Cellar

* Phone before visiting to arrange an appointment with the artist.