The Teign River Serpent

Riverside MillEducation SpaceExhibitionGMI

18 Dec

Written By Laura Wasley

A Green Maker Initiative Mini Maker Showcase

Photos by Sarah Clarke

4 July - 18 July 2026, Education Space

A group of Chagford residents came together in early 2023 to create a pictorial map of a small section of the River Teign close by and so loved by Chagfordians.

Designed by, Yuli Somme, felt maker, and Sara Nunan, illustrator, they have used entirely natural and recycled fibres of British organic wool felt, using simple needle felting and appliqué techniques. They consulted with the Teign River Restoration Project and their base of reference is the life cycle of the salmon as an indicator species for the health of the river. It is no coincidence that Yuli’s Norwegian father was a scientist working in the 1930s to the late 1950s on the effects of salmon farming on wild salmon in Norway. Sadly, Yuli no longer eat salmon as she learns more about these effects.

They took inspiration from the Mappa Mundi, a 13th century map of the globe constructed on vellum and housed at Hereford Cathedral, which depicts the history, geography and destiny of humanity as understood at that time.

By using a mythological river serpent as a conveyance for their narrative, the group wanted to create an engaging piece that would tell their story about the river from a human perspective and reflect on our relationship to this entity and how, by informing ourselves we can change our behaviours in order to enhance the natural life of the river.

The 200 hours of working together over 4 months has been a very positive experience on many levels:

educating ourselves of the human and climate pressures that all our rivers are under
fostering awareness of local history, and interest in the local environment
expressing commitments to changing our own behaviours that affect the river
gaining new skills and confidence, sparking creativity through working together
enjoying and enhancing wellbeing through slow, contemplative work

We invite you to spend a little time spotting the creatures and events that affect our river and environment. Some of them are quite small, and everything is joyfully out of scale!

About Yuli

Photo by Fern Leigh Albert

Yuli Somme | Textiles - Felt | Devon

Making mundane things such as tuffets, tea cosies and hot water bottle covers objects of beauty, functionality and integrity is what Yuli celebrates and finds joy in.

Carefully choosing wool from the right sheep, the right farm and the right environmental management is part of her craft practice, and that brings the connection with Nature that inspires her.

Over the last 20 years Yuli has been making shrouds for natural burial, taking her reference from the 17th Century law of burial in wool. She has designed options for burial or cremation that are softer on the eye and bring comfort at a time most needed in our lives.

“There is an intrinsic tenderness in the fibre; it is beautiful. Over the years, my work has shifted towards bringing this tenderness to others at a time of grief and as an ecological alternative to a hard-edged, anonymous box.”

Although this was an unexpected evolution in her work, it has connected her to an industry that many people find baffling and mysterious. Her insights bring her clients the reassurance that thinking 'outside the box' is not only possible, but essential as an antidote to this over-standardised world.