Tendring Beasts

with the East Anglian Folklore Centre

Help us bring mythical straw creatures to life.

This summer something mythical is stirring.

We’re creating four straw beasts: spectacular wearable sculptures inspired by folk traditions and local legends. We need you to bring them to life.

Images courtesy of The Armagh Rhymers.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Festival of Britain. For the festival Essex’s own Fred Mizen, a straw craftsman, created two monumental straw sculptures for the famous Lion and Unicorn Pavilion. These artworks greeted visitors to a space exploring the character of Britain, the lion stood for realism and strength, the unicorn represented fantasy, independence, and imagination. Mizen’s original creations no longer survive, so we want to bring them back.

We don’t want to make replicas, instead we’re inviting you to reimagine them for Tendring today.

A little history…

Strawcraft crown made for the Festival of Britain by Fred Mizen 1951. MERL 52/73-80

Fred Mizen with his lion and unicorn sculptures. Photography by John Tarlton, 1951.

Want to find out more about Fred Mizen? Check out the Museum of English Rural Life

What are we making?

With the East Anglian Folklore Centre and local straw craft artists we’re using traditional techniques from corn dolly making, thatching, and straw plaiting to create a series of wearable straw mummers, spectacular costume sculptures inspired by the folk traditions of masked performers who once travelled from village to village bringing stories, mischief, and celebration.


As well as creating a lion and the unicorn we will be making St Osyth, the famed guardian of the priory. The Anglo-Saxon abbess, refusing to submit to the demands of Viking raiders, was beheaded. Legend tells that she picked up her head and carried it to her final resting place, and that a spring appeared in the spot she was struck. She is our symbol of resilience, strength, and our connection with nature.

We also need you to design special new character for Tendring. What could it be? A sea creature from the coast? A guardian of the fields? A folk legend brought to life? A symbol of community spirit? We want you to create characters that reflect our history, Tendring today, or your hopes for the future.

How can you get involved?

Join one of our beast making workshops where you’ll learn straw plaiting and weaving:

Pick up our beast designing sheets, available at Harwich Arts and Heritage Centre (more locations to be added soon). Don’t forget to hand your complete designs back in to one of these locations, email your completed designs to hello@creativetendring.co.uk, or tag us on instagram.

Discover local folklore, take part in story sharing, and design a beast at:

All four completed beasts will step out at:

Clacton Airshow (27 and 28 August)

Walton’s Between the Tides Festival (19 and 20 September)

Harwich Guy Carnival (31 October)

They’ll be wandering through the festivals collecting memories and stories of the coast, and gathering ideas for the future.

Thank you to everyone who joined us at St Osyth Summer Sounds to make a patch for St Osyth’s robes or design a beast. Look how far we got!