Celebrate Heritage Making at designermakers21

Diss, as an important market town, has always been the centre of both local commerce and manufacturing. We tend to forget how self-contained a town like Diss was- supported by specialist crops and industries- to supply the needs of local people.

The pattern of the streets, still evident today, show how livestock was brought to auction, sold and processed for meat and leather, all within walking distance of the town centre.

Crops were grown to serve specialist manufacturing needs and brought in from the neighbouring fens supported by institutions such as the Corn Hall and factories like the Diss Brush Company. But there were a host of small businesses supplying everyday needs from a new hearth for the fireplace to a new broom for the yard; from paper to formally printed documents.

At 21 St Nicholas Street, in the building that was for many years the location of Albrights the ironmongers, there will be an exhibition of the history of the building and demonstrations of bisom (brush) making using materials cropped from the nearby heaths, and of paper making with samples of stone lithography used to print commercial documents. Come and have a go at making and seeing how the local economy was largely self-sufficient not that long ago.

Timings & Tours

Thursday 18 September:

1100 - 1600 Exhibition

Friday 19 September:

1100 - 1600 Exhibition, 1400 - 16002 Stone lithography demonstration

Saturday 20 September:

1100 - 1600 Exhibition, 1100 - 1600 Papermaking demonstrations, 1100 - 1600 Bisom (brush) making demonstrations and have a go

Location & directions

21 St. Nicholas Street, Diss, Norfolk, IP22 4LB

Directions:

21 St Nicholas Street is opposite the classically designed Corn Hall.

Contact on day:

Paul Sharrock

Telephone number:

+447802304511

Booking information

Pre-booking requirement:

Pre-booking preferred

Booking conditions:

Booking on the day is available.

Booking contact name:

Paul Sharrock

Booking email:

[email protected]

Booking website:

https://www.delaltprint.com/bookings

Booking opens:

11 Jun 2025 12:00 AM

Booking closes:

11 Sep 2025 12:00 AM

Accessibility details

There is no step-free access to toilets on site and there are minor changes of level and uneven floors.

Additional information

Max no of people per tour:

6

Est. tour duration:

2 hour(s)

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