The Scroll

THE WALBERSWICK SCROLL
Between 1931 and 1932, the artist J. Doman Turner, a member of the Camden Town Group, decided to paint a picture of every house in the village. Starting as you cross the Parish boundary by the old Gamekeeper's cottage, he worked his way along the north side of The Street, around the Village Green, down to the ferry and back up the south side. The scroll is over 123 feet long and depicts every house, even those in the course of construction or away from the main street. It is an incredible record of the village as it was at the time. He paid particular attention to notices: a tortoise is lost and the list of prices for different uses of the then steam ferry is long and intriguing. We're told which studio belonged to which artist and where popular authors stayed. We have a last peep at the station, Manor Farm and the Walberswick Pottery, together with glimpses of then contemporary village characters.  Various sections of the scroll are reproduced on this website, it is a remarkable and almost unique work of art.

To protect the scroll the housing was made from an old table football case by Tony Whittenbury in 1988, he also devised and created a mechanism to allow the scroll to be rolled from one end to the other whilst being viewed through a glass panel in the top of the table. Thirty years later, the housing needed to be restored to make it secure and this refurbishment was completed in 2021. The case has been renovated and the whole put on castors to enable its precious cargo to be moved more easily.  Considering the Scroll spent years rolled up and hidden away, the Scroll Advisary Group sought the opinion of a specialist paper conservator who advised work should be started without delay as the paper was showing wear and tear. Expert conservation work on this remarkable artwork was completed in February 2023.                                                                                                                                                                                                         

The Scroll has now found a permanent home in the newly upgraded Heritage Hut on The Green.

In 2018, a High Definition digital version was made of the Scroll which has enabled the Scroll Advisory Group (SAG) volunteers to show details which cannot be appreciated looking at the original, whilst preserving the Scroll's fragility. The original in its protective case, together with a demonstration of the mechanism for viewing it, is included in every Showing.

Various purpose-made articles are for sale to raise money for the next stage of conservation. You may order a print taken from the original digital version of your own house, buy a favourite view, a greetings card, T-shirt or even a shopping bag. To see a full list of merchandise and prices click here. (work in progress)  

See the Diary for the next showing of the Scroll It is usually shown during the Summer and Autumn Half Terms. Next dates: Sunday, 24th May 2026 and Sunday, 25th October 2026

There is a possibility for private viewings for small groups when contributions towards the preservation of the Scroll are welcomed.

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To read more about J. Doman Turner visit Forgotten Camden Towner and J. Doman Turner