Between 2022 and 2025, the Sleeping Well in the Early Modern World team collaborated with Tudor manor house Ordsall Hall in Salford, run by Salford Community Leisure. Together we ran two phases of the Sleeping Well at Ordsall Hall project funded by Wellcome and the Arts and Humanities Research Council. The projects used the academic research of the Sleeping Well in the Early Modern World team to design and deliver a series of creative workshops. Dr Anna Fielding, Project Officer, combined the sharing of historical research from the project about early modern sleep with hands-on practical remaking and crafting activities. You can read more about each phase of the project in our summary leaflets: Phase One and Phase Two.

Some of the project activities included: 

• Making an apple curd using an early modern recipe 
• Remaking Tudor sleep remedies with dried herbs, flowers and spices
• Making dipped beeswax candles
• Weaving willow and seed planting 

Lots of different groups were able to take part in these activities, including local school children, visitors to Ordsall Hall, and community groups. Participants really loved learning creatively, and they found activities like candle making, willow weaving and sleeping remedy making to be a brilliant way to engage with the teams’ research. Some people also found that taking part in these activities helped their wellbeing. You can read more about this phase of the project and look at some of the activities and events.

From 2024-2025, the team undertook a pilot phase to explore if taking part in creative health activities would help people with self-identified mental health or wellbeing challenges. The team worked with Wellbeing Matters Salford to help recruit people to take part. The project found that all the participants reported their wellbeing had improved.

Participants shared: 

‘I think I feel more joy. Focusing on crafting and drawing and painting and stuff really helps my wellbeing.’

‘I would say “it really works”. Remaking improves your wellbeing. It gives you energy to do life for the rest of the week.’

‘It’s a bit deeper than just being taught something, it teaches you something about yourself. Because your confidence disappears, the older you get. It’s made me have some more self-belief.’

You can watch our project videos below to find out more about the projects and hear from the project team, Ordsall Hall staff, and our participants. 

The project team developed a wellbeing trail around Ordsall Hall, based on the project activities and with the help of project participants and Ordsall Hall staff. The trail is free and available to all Ordsall Hall visitors. You can view the trail leaflet here.