Stag Trail Arsenic

This classic Georgian design can be seen at Greyfriars, a medieval timber house in Worcester. The property’s 20th Century owner, Elsie Moore, acquired some unused rolls from a rectory attic in nearby Pershore, and displayed sections of them as framed panels in her bright yellow dining room. Suspecting that the turquoise pigment in the ground could have been arsenic, she covered the panels in plain brown paper to prevent the unwitting poisoning of either herself or her guests. The holes made by the pins she used can still be seen today, but the paper is, thankfully, (safely) back on show. The scale of the original pattern has been reduced for usability, whilst the four colourways include a nod to the original, a traditional interpretation and more contemporary options.