Craft Festival Town Trail
September 11-October 11, 2026
Discover Cardigan Through Craft: The Craft Festival Wales Town Trail Returns
From 11 September to 11 October, Cardigan becomes an open-air gallery as the Craft Festival Wales Town Trail returns for its third year.
Created and curated by Justine Allison, to accompany Craft Festival Wales at Cardigan Castle, the Town Trail celebrates the town’s vibrant independent businesses while showcasing exceptional contemporary craft from Wales. This year, seven makers who have previously won awards at Craft Festival Wales have been invited to create brand-new works especially for the Trail, each inspired by one of seven Welsh words reflecting the experience of home.
Home is more than a place. More than bricks and mortar, home is a feeling, a quiet language of welcome, warmth and lingering memories. It is found in the objects we treasure, the stories we carry and the landscapes that shape us.
This year’s Craft Festival Wales Town Trail explores those emotions through seven special commissions: seven artists, seven places and seven moments that celebrate what it means to feel at home in this very special corner of West Wales.
Our makers were asked to respond to these words that take us home.
Aelwyd / Hearth
Nourishment/ Maeth
Atcof / Memory
Cynefin / Habitat
Cysur / Comfort
Hiraeth / Longing
Tirwedd / Landscape
Plan Your Trail
Pick up a Town Trail Map from any of the Trail venues, or from Oriel Cardi-Bach or Cardigan Castle, then collect a stamp at each location as you explore. Once you’ve completed the Trail, return your map to Cardigan Castle by 31 October to be entered into a prize draw to win a fantastic bundle of gifts generously donated by the participating venues.
Whether you’re visiting for the festival or simply enjoying a day in town, the Trail is a wonderful way to experience exceptional contemporary craft, support local independent businesses and perhaps discover a new favourite maker along the way.














- 11/09/2026 - 11/10/2026
Printmaker and illustrator Tom Frost has become known for his instantly recognisable graphic style, drawing inspiration from vintage matchboxes, folk art, taxidermy, old toys, stamps and the natural world. Working from his studio in Llanboidy, Tom has collaborated with clients including the V&A, Penguin Books, Walker Books, Yorkshire Sculpture Park
- 11/09/2026
Working from his studio near Llangadog, Tim Lake creates beautifully crafted high-fired stoneware that balances function with quiet elegance. Thrown on a traditional kick wheel and fired in a gas and wood kiln, Tim’s ceramics are glazed using slips and glazes he makes himself, often incorporating locally collected natural materials.
- 11/09/26-11/10/2026
Contemporary quilt maker Sophie Snow creates striking textile works inspired by the landscapes and coastlines of West Wales. Working from her studio in St Dogmaels, Sophie combines linen, cotton, block-printed fabrics and intricate hand stitching in bold, joyful colour palettes. Rather than depicting specific places, her quilts evoke the emotions
- 11/09/2026 - 11/10/2026
Furniture maker John Pearce, known as The Teifi Woodworker, creates beautifully crafted contemporary furniture from his workshop in Henllan. Inspired by traditional country furniture, John works almost exclusively with sustainably sourced British timber, often from West Wales. Using hand tools and time-honoured joinery techniques, each piece celebrates the unique character
- 11/09/2026 - 11/10/2026
Cysur / Comfort Textile artist Llio James, originally from Talybont, Ceredigion, has created a new handwoven double-cloth blanket using 100% British wool. The reversible design offers a contemporary interpretation of a traditional Aberteifi pattern, celebrating local heritage through modern weaving. A graduate of Manchester School of Art with a Master’s
- 11/09/2026 - 11/10/2026
Based in Cardigan, Ella Bua-In creates tactile stoneware vessels designed to be held, used and treasured. Illustration sits at the heart of her practice, with hand-painted narrative drawings applied using oxides to create expressive, imperfect surfaces. Her work celebrates the beauty of handmade objects that become part of everyday life.
- 13/09/2026 - 13/10/2026
Justyna Medon, founder of Addicted to Patterns, is a printmaker, educator and wallpaper conservator based in the Garw Valley near Bridgend. A 2022 QEST Scholar in Wallpaper Design & Conservation, Justyna specialises in hand-printed textiles and wallpapers that combine traditional craftsmanship with experimental printmaking and material-led design. Her work reflects