This chapter examines through the medium of embroidery the legacy of a number of talented architects who operated in and around north Staffordshire. It celebrates the collaboration between the architects who created designs, the needlewomen who interpreted their schemes in silk and gold thread and the skilled workers who produced the materials. Viewing the work of major architects from this interdependent perspective offers an opportunity to approach their designs through an entirely different medium and context, expanding our understanding of them. They played a pivotal role in that they combined faith, trade, local community and artistic expression at a time when rituals and communal ceremonies were a part of many people’s lives. From what follows we can see that collective talents made numerous beautiful pieces and that many still survive in the churches for which they were made, testifying to the interplay of extraordinary skills.

As a result of complex ecclesiastical and social changes the second half of the nineteenth century witnessed a massive church-building programme across Britain. One outcome of this was a remarkably intricate web of activity in the region of north Staffordshire involving eminent architects and the Wardle family of Leek. The Wardles were closely linked to the architects and the architects were connected to each other through networks of contacts and influences. They all worked closely with the Leek Embroidery Society to produce emblematic needlework for their buildings, which contributed significantly to the overall result. What follows documents their creative alliances.

The county of Staffordshire has a history of attracting the most distinguished men to build there. Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin, Sir George Gilbert Scott, George Edmund Street and George Frederick Bodley produced some of their best work in Staffordshire. This was during a significant stage in Gothic Revival building led by Pugin and inspired by the writings of John Ruskin. Not only did they create magnificent buildings but they also made a conscious effort to revive declining craft traditions and in the process designed many articles, including embroideries, for their interiors. They were firmly rooted in their own time and set a powerful precedent for their pupils and admirers to follow.