It is a striking, 80m exhibition of knitted and crocheted panels depicting life in Britain between the declaration of war in September 1939 to VE Day in May 1945.

Hundreds of volunteer knitters from across the UK have created a stunning set of 80 individual knitted panels, each depicting a scene of Britain during wartime.

It builds on the international success of The Longest Yarn, an exhibition of scenes from D-Day, which following a tour of the UK, is now in the USA.

This impressive exhibition of intricate knitted wartime scenes has been visited and loved by thousands and the work that has gone into the storytelling panels is informed by guidance from expert historians. Each individual panel tells a different story of a significant event including:

The outbreak of war, The King’s Speech, The Blitz and bombing of cities, Britons coping with the war, The Home Guard, The Women’s Land Army, Rationing, The euphoria of victory etc…

The individual knitter often has a personal connection with the story they portray – sometimes a relative, sometimes a place or moment in time, making this a truly unique, heartfelt and historically important exhibition.

There are also eight life-sized manikins to accompany the display, each depicting different people and their war-time roles.

The Cathedral will be open from 8.30am until 4.30pm on most days for viewing throughout the exhibition (some entry restrictions may apply on certain days).

Attracting thousands of visitors as it tours the UK, this exhibition appeals to people of all ages from schoolchildren upwards. Entry is by donation in support of both the Cathedral’s costs of hosting the exhibition and veterans’ charities.

Learn more at blackburncathedral.com/yarn.