Transforming Scilly seaweed and sand into glass

Work began this autumn on one of our pilot cultural projects and sees an artist working with the community on the Isles of Scilly to transform materials from our beaches into glass.

Led by Cornwall-based artist Abigail Reynolds, the Kelp Pit Glassmaking project works with the Isles of Scilly Museum, Community Archaeology Group and Five Islands School to develop glass using soda ash made from the burning of kelp.

Abigail visited St Mary’s in September to start planning for the project and over 30 people attended a public presentation on 18 September to find out more about the project.

Katherine Sawyer, a local archaeologist, outlined the history of the kelp industry on the Islands and showed maps of the remaining sites of kelp pits. Abigail talked through her experience of experimenting with glass-making in Cornwall and showed her 12-minute film which documents the process – sharing glass samples she had created and answering questions about the process.

There was a positive reception to ideas shared at the meeting, including gathering sand and kelp from each of the inhabited off-islands to produce a feature to be displayed in the Island Life Gallery of the museum.

The proposed Island Life gallery in the Museum (Picture Credit: Imagemakers UK)

Abigail’s trip also included a visit to Five Islands Academy – including a fume test conducted by the Head of Science, Tim Garratt, to share with the Health and Safety team at Isles of Scilly Council.

She also met with local glassmaking artist, Oriel Hicks, based at Phoenix Craft Studios, who can support the project with expertise and resources.  

This living history project will follow the traditional method of making soda ash from burning kelp using a replica kelp pit at a suitably remote location, followed by a public demonstration of how it would be used to make glass, using sifted Five Islands sand. Permissions are being sought. 

Museum curator Kate Hale said: “Abigail’s experimental work in Cornwall produced beautiful naturally tin-tinted pale blue glass. Her work was first inspired by a visit to the kelp pits on Toll’s Island. I can’t wait to see what colour Scilly glass might be”.

Kelp-burning pits are part of the heritage landscape of our islands – a cottage industry here supplied the glass furnaces in Bristol with the kelp ash needed to bring down the melting point of sand and transform it into glass. Abigail’s recent work has revived medieval glass recipes that use ash from burnt seaweed as a flux.

A ‘Family in Focus’ family history event was held on the neighbouring island of St Martin’s on 10 October to bring together local knowledge about the kelp-making Nance family and their descendants.

The Nances of Scilly are now spread all over the world and have within their ranks Master Mariners, smugglers and flower farmers who were involved in the setting up the original Steamship company - this one family charting how Scillonians have had to adapt to changing times and opportunities.   

Abigail said: “I was inspired to try to turn a beach into glass after seeing the kelp pits on Toll’s island. Much research and practical testing has showed this to be possible. Returning to Scilly with that knowledge and producing an island glass with the community is my ultimate dream for this glass. It will re-connect people with their local heritage, and the eventual artwork in the museum will stand as a beautiful reminder of the lost industry of the kelp pits.”

An example of glass produced by Abigail Reynolds, part of a previous creative project. (Picture credit: Abigail Reynolds)

Abigail will be supported by the team from the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust who will work alongside the community to identify the types of seaweed on our beaches and the marine environment that supports them.

This project is part of a series of pilot projects for the new Cultural Centre and Museum – a series of workshops we’ll be developing to help us to reach a wider audience, connect with Isles of Scilly residents and our wider diaspora.

The workshops have been designed on themes which were highlighted by local people in our early consultations, and we want to forge close relationships with local residents and the wider Scilly community to help us tell important stories and celebrate our Island heritage

Following this successful planning trip, Abigail is now developing further plans for the project, including gathering materials for glass on five islands. Her proposal will focus on timelines, budget, materials and equipment and staff resources – including an on-island project manager.

This will inform a funding application for delivery of the project to Arts Council to deliver on the programme.

There is a history of the kelp industry on the Islands and kelp-burning pits are part of the heritage landscape of our islands.