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Bellacouche Felt Burial Shrouds'staying close to nature'"WOOL has kept the heart of mankind warm: the shepherd's cloak and the baby's fine shawl, the pilgrim's robe and the warrior's mantle have all served well wherever they have served at all"
Anne Belgrave & Yuli Somme are feltmakers and artists who have worked together over several years to develop this idea in response to the need for a more celebratory, and less Victorian, attitude towards an inevitable rite of passage. They both feel strongly that artists have much to offer in developing new rituals better suited to contemporary life. A shroud made of felted wool demonstrates their interest in natural fibres and sustainable design, whilst also promoting a new use for wool. They have chosen the name 'Bellacouche' for their partnership because of an amazing coincidence - the word comes from the traditional name of their workshop, and means 'beautiful resting place'. The old barn is situated right next to the church and in the past coffins were always kept there while awaiting burial.
The felt shroud is designed to be used instead of a coffin, for both woodland and traditional burial. Each one is individually made, and constructed of four layers of strong felt attached to an integral wooden carrying frame and handles. The body is double-wrapped in a soft white blanket and lain on a thick layer of felt, which is then covered by the next leaf and tightly fastened all round with wooden toggles. A final patterned leaf decorates the completed shroud.  The leafshroud connects our wool and textile traditions to the landscape and natural world. The designs make use of local wool and natural colours, and provide a functional, comforting and ecologically sound alternative to the 'traditional' coffin. Yuli Somme & Anne Belgrave can be contacted at |
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It was once common practice to be buried in a woollen shroud, and in 1666 Parliament decreed that everyone must be buried in wool - rather than hemp, linen or silk. Then, as now, the wool trade was in decline.
Looking back even further there is archaeological evidence for the use of felt in burial tombs dating from 600 BC - felt has been found preserved in the permafrost in the Pazyrak Mountains of Siberia. The practice eventually declined, but history has paved the way for this new take on an ancient idea.
Sustainability is at the heart of the business, and great care is taken over the sourcing of materials. The greenwood for the sturdy carrying frame is coppiced from nearby woodland, the gorse fastenings are collected from the moor. Wool comes from the rarer breeds of sheep because the aim is to develop new uses for local wool, as well as supporting breed diversity - and includes the Devon breeds of Dartmoor, Devon & Cornwall Longwool, Devon Close wool - as well as Welsh Hill Radnor.
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