Gansey Shore is a new exhibition of traditional seafarer's ganseys. Ganseys are rugged, warm jumpers hand-knitted 'in the round' and were common from the 19th Century up to the mid 20th Century. They were found not just along North Norfolk's shores but from the Scotland down the east coast of the UK right round to Devon and Cornwall, with a particularly strong tradition in North Yorkshire, the Humber, Norfolk and Cornwall. Ganseys feature distinctive patterns and motifs, though designs were very much up to the knitters and there was much crossover and adaptation.

Gansey Shore is staged by the Wells and Stiffkey Gansey Group, an informal group of knitters who meet every week at The Maltings in Wells and help keep the gansey tradition alive by creating their own garments to be worn or shown. They are an offshoot of the Sheringham Museum Textile Team and East Anglia Gansey Group, both of which have done much to document, record and preserve the Gansey tradition.

Gansey Shore was on at the Maltings Arts Centre in Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk on the first weekend of Wells Carnival Week, 10am-4pm, 1st and 2nd August 2026

Thank you!

Our first Gansey Shore exhibition was a big success, enjoyed both by everyone who organised and manned it and around 750 visitors over the two days. We'd like to say thank you to all the people and organisations that supported us, everyone who loaned us exhibits, provided prizes and merch and all those who helped setting up and manning the exhibition... and most importantly to everyone who came to see, either for a few hours or just for five minutes. There was a great atmosphere and we hope everyone had a good time despite the heat. Our prize draw raffle raised £500 for the Fisherman's Mission.

We're not sure when or where or even if we'll do Gansey Shore again but if you'd like to be kept up-to-date, please send in the contact form below with the mailing list box ticked.

Alternatively, you're welcome to drop in to one of our Wells & Stiffkey Gansey Knitters sessions at The Maltings on Sunday mornings from 11am.

What was on

• Ganseys – new and old
• Knit Space – bring your knitting and chill. Drop-in, any time
• Gansey surgery – are you stuck? Come and ask the experts
• Grappling with Gussets workshops. 2pm on Saturday and Sunday. Free but please book a place on Eventbrite
• Enter our Prize Draw
• Sticker vending machine and other merchandise
• Stalls and more!

Wells & Stiffkey Gansey Knitters

The Wells & Stiffkey Gansey Knitters meet every Sunday morning at The Maltings arts centre on Staithe Street in Wells from 11am to around 1pm. We are an informal and friendly group and mostly just knit, chat and consume cakes and coffee from the cafe. If you'd like to join us or just pop in to say hello or see if it would suit you, you would be most welcome to do so!

Contact us

If you've any questions or would like to get involved with the exhibition or join the Wells & Stiffkey Gansey Group, please send us a message using the form below.

If you'd like to know when and where (and if) we're doing Gansey Shore again, please just send your name and e-mail and check the mailing list box!

Supported by

We are grateful to the following organisations for their help and support...