Swarthmoor Hall
2024 

Client
Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)

Location
Ulverston, Cumbria

Role
Heritage interpretation
Graphic design

Collaborators
Heritage interpretation: Simon Leach Design
Character illustration: Lisa Maltby
Interpretation fabrication: Standard8
Wayfinding fabrication: NES Solutions

Swarthmoor Hall was home to Margaret Fell and Judge Thomas Fell and is recognised as the birthplace of Quakerism. In the 1650s the Fells gave refuge to George Fox, a travelling preacher advocating for rebellion against religious and political authorities. Their home became the headquarters for the new movement known as Quakerism and Margaret Fell became one of the most important spiritual leaders of the early Quaker movement. Both her and George Fox were imprisoned several times for their beliefs and actions. Swarthmoor Hall presents the story of the early Quaker movement in the place where it all started.

We were tasked to create a new interpretation design strategy to complement the architectural restoration of the Grade 2* listed building. Working collaboratively with the client’s curators and historians we established a character-led narrative experience centred around Margaret Fell, her daughter Sarah Fell, and life at Swarthmoor Hall in the late 1600s. We commissioned Lisa Maltby to create contemporary character illustrations of Margaret, Sarah, Judge Fell and George Fox, to support a more family-focussed story telling. Interpretation comprised individual components set on table tops, desks, ledges and sills. Nothing is fixed and everything is fabricated carefully to mitigate leaving any marks. The graphic language is built upon a grid of dots in a nod to Quaker needlework craft, generating patterns that identify interpretive interventions. Phase one of the scheme launched in 2024.