Flax Corn Dolly

The spirit of nature talks to us through these beautiful objects. Are we listening?
In March 2022, in partnership with the Village Hub, Stoke, Plymouth, we will be building an oversized Corn Dolly made of flax straw. The making will take place in the park or the Community Centre in the park, depending on the weather. Passers-by and visitors are invited to participate in building the dolly or have a go at making a smaller traditional one to take away. Flax crafters and Village Hub volunteers will be available to talk to people and show how to weave flax straw into small dollies and assist with the larger one. Everyone who wants to can have a go and join in the conversation

Location:     Blockhouse Park or in the Stoke Youth & Community Centre, Masterman Road, Blockhouse Park, Stoke, Plymouth, PL2 1BJ 
Dates:          Mon 21st – Fri 25th  March 2022 12-4pm each day 

The name Corn Dolly is a generic term for symbolic objects woven from straw of any kind. Corn Dollies date back to pre-Christian farming practices and are a reminder of a healthier past relationship to nature, one that we have all but lost. It speaks of the looming disaster but also, if we listen, it gives us the key to regain what we have lost.

Corn dollies were traditionally made from the last stems of the harvest. It was believed that the spirit of the field was saved in the corn dolly until the following spring when the dolly would be planted back into the field and this would release the spirit for the next crop. 
 

In April we return the Flax Corn Dolly, the spirit of the field, to the soil before sowing a bed of flax seed on Blockhouse Park. 100 days later, in August, we celebrate the flax harvest. Everyone is invited to attend these events.