The theme for this July’s prestigious Hexham Abbey Flower Festival was a celebration of the Northern Saints, and Hexham Town WI’s entry was allocated St Caedmon.
Caedmon was a seventh century c
owherd at Whitby Abbey. Despite being illiterate, he is said to have composed a song during a divinely inspired dream and subsequently left his pastures to become a zealous monk and inspirational Christian poet. A contemporary of Saint Wilfrid, his surviving work is one of the earliest examples of Old English poetry.
Our WI horticulture members, Jill Walker and Liz Kirkbride, created a stunningly colourful display to commemorate the personal journey of the saint. With an elegantly decorated blue ‘C’ and an outsize depiction of Caedmon’s song, the sandstone walling and bonny local wildflowers replicated the meadows which the saint would have been familiar with.
Jill’s own garden provided the source of the display. Jill adds: “The floral display was created sustainably, with all the flowers, rocks and wildflower turf coming from my garden and returning there afterwards, one way or another!”.
A truly home-grown display inspired by this humble Northern Saint.
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