A grandfather has carved a wooden replica of the Bayeux Tapestry, despite having lost three of his fingers in an industrial accident.
Jason Welch, 43, has always been a dab hand with a chisel but didn’t know what he was getting himself into when he started the project in 2011.
The self-employed wood carver, from North Creake, Norfolk, decided to create a scale model of the 230ft tapestry to help cope with the grief of his 16-year-old son Ricky dying three years ago, and he has been hard at work in his shed ever since.
He finally completed the work just before Christmas but says his masterpiece is now gathering dust in his workshop because it is so big.
Mr Welch, a self employed wood carver, said: 'I like working with my hands and keeping active... I had to draw all the detail onto these five foot panels, then chisel it and spend ages sanding it.'
Mr Welch added: 'That last part was the hardest because my hands started to ache because I don’t have all my fingers... I just hope that someone will get in touch with us and put it on somewhere for the year.'
Remembering the accident in which he lost his fingers, Mr Welch said: 'I was about 19 and I used to work on a farm... I had these gloves on and they got caught in a chain and cord. It pulled my hands into it and my fingers went.'
He added: 'It was horrific it really was. I lost all the fingers on my left hand bar my thumb. Luckily they managed to partially sew my little finger back on.'
The original Bayeux Tapestry depicts the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and is actually created from a piece of embroided cloth, not wood.
It is more than nine centuries old and shows the events leading up to the Norman Conquest of England that culminated in the famous battle.
French legend maintains it was commissioned and created by Queen Matilda, William the Conqueror’s wife and her ladies in waiting.
The most famous scene showing King Harold being shot in the eye by an arrow.
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