The use of an outdoor frame with hooks to stretch and dry woollen cloth as part of the finishing process, would appear to be straightforward. Far from it! Complications included the weather, cloth theft, and the scourge of deliberate overstretching which brought parts of the industry into disrepute. In his well-illustrated talk, Graham will discuss the use, abuse, and control of tenters over the centuries. His survey of field tenters on 19th century maps suggests their prevalence in the West Riding and east Lancashire landscape. But a nationwide search for tenter remains revealed a very disappointing survival rate, with only one remarkable and largely complete set still standing (just!).
Graham Cooper was a medical research scientist for forty years but upon retirement focused his research efforts on many aspects of landscape history such as early deer parks. He lives in the Forest of Bowland.