The English Town Made of Wool

Visit the town of Mersham where locals have recreated their village in wool.

ByABC News
May 20, 2009, 9:49 AM

MERSHAM, May 22, 2009— -- Welcome to the village of Mersham, England idyllically situated in the rolling hills of Kent. It is a traditional English village in most senses, with quaint houses, gardens, pubs and a church.

The only thing is, it is made entirely out of wool.

It is a replica of the town knitted by hand by a group of ladies 23 years ago.

The idea came when times were tough and money was scarce. Rather than let the economic hardships get the better of them, a tightly knit group of women came up with a unique way to raise money: by knitting.

Knocking on doors, the women -- who called themselves the afternoon club -- asked fellow villagers if they would like to see a reproduction of their home, knitted in wool, in exchange for a donation that would go to help save the village town hall.

They "came around and asked, would anyone like to have their house knitted, because we are going to do all the houses in the village. And well, we couldn't say no, could we?" Jim Woodhouse told ABC News.

"So we said yes!" chimed his wife, Avril Woodhouse.

The project grew, until it included nearly every building in Mersham.

Last of all, the house below stands glorious on its own, with a garden in full bloom.

Who knew that Noah's Ark was in Mersham!

ABC News' Ammu Kannampilly contributed to this report