The Longest Yarn
A brand new exhibition of knitted wartime scenes depicting life during World War II will open at Rheged, Penrith on Thursday 26th March.
Volunteer knitters from across the UK have created this stunning exhibition, made of yarn. Comprising 80 individual scenes, and a number of life-size knitted wartime personnel, this incredible exhibition will be at Rheged over the Easter holiday period, from 26 March – 28 April.
Visitors are encouraged to come and see the intricate work that has gone into the storytelling panels, all created by hundreds of volunteer knitters, over many, many hours.
The exhibition tells the story of everyday life for families, service personnel and individuals throughout the UK during wartime. Food rationing, building Anderson shelters in back gardens, growing vegetables in parks and spare ground, the effect of bombing in towns and cities, and more stories, are shown in knitted and crocheted scenes.
Founder of The Longest Yarn, Tansy Forster, explains the background to The Longest Yarn 2:
“This exhibition builds on the success of our first exhibition, which focussed on D-Day. Given the response from the public, I couldn’t wait to create a second exhibition – so we created “Britain at War”, which depicts Britain during wartime, and features memories and stories gathered by our volunteer knitters. As it tours the UK it is being seen and applauded by thousands of visitors, of all ages, many of whom visit several times. The response has been truly heartwarming.”
One of the panels was knitted by volunteer Rosemary Fielder from Cumbria, and her friends, who despite being scattered across the country (in Surrey and West Yorkshire) co-ordinated and created a panel which shows Winston Churchill visiting HMS Exeter in 1940.
Rosemary said “I am passionate about bringing the amazing efforts of so many people to Cumbria and hosting The Longest Yarn 2 in my home town. I believe that The Longest Yarn exhibitions bring so much delight to so many parts of the community (veterans and older people reminiscing about their experiences during WW2, children learning history through a different medium, crafters looking at items they wish they’d been able to help make and members of the general public enjoying an excellent day out). I am so proud to have been a member of the creative team and delighted that my panel will be returning to Penrith. Rheged is a fabulous venue and will ensure visitors have the time and space to make the most of the exhibition”
Speaking ahead of the exhibition, Claire Logan-Stephens, head of programming at Rheged said “We are delighted that Rheged has been selected to host this prestigious exhibition – its the perfect fit for us as it champions craft, community and our place. We have been blown away by the quality, scale and storytelling and touches of humour behind each of the dioramas. We are already wishing it could be hear longer than a month, but it will really enhance our Easter holiday offer.“
The Longest Yarn 2 exhibition can be seen at Rheged, Penrith. Open daily from 9am to 5pm (last entry 4pm) from Thursday 26 March – Monday 27 April 2026. Prebooking is essential to secure your time slot either at Rheged.com or the ticket desk at Rheged. Entry is £5 pp (no concession) and profits from admission, and from the exhibition’s guidebook, will support veterans’ charities, including Forces Veterans Afloat – a project to refurbish canal boats to provide permanent homes for veterans with PTSD. Rheged has free parking and disabled access throughout.
The guidebook accompanying the exhibition is available to buy at Rheged. Packed with photos, it shares the in-depth stories behind the panels and introduces the incredible crafters who have brought the project to life.
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