Aberystwyth University cold storage for giant cardigan

The cardigan was one of several anniversary projects funded by a £30,000 Heritage Lottery Fund grant

A university has offered to freeze a giant cardigan, knitted by 200 people, to stop moths from ruining it.

The garment, measuring 5m (16ft)-wide and 2.5m (8ft)-long, was created to celebrate the town of Cardigan's 900 year history in 2010.

It has been on display but there have been fears that moth larvae would feast on the wool.

Now Aberystwyth University has offered space in its scientific freezers.

The cardigan was designed to mark the history of the past nine centuries of the town.

It shows a castle, shops, churches and chapels, as well as portraits of local people and school children and was one of several anniversary projects to mark the town's anniversary.

Freezer space

It was funded by a £30,000 Heritage Lottery Fund grant and was designed and co-ordinated by Lisa Hellier, assisted by Susan McComb and has been on display in several venues across the town.

But now the cardigan needs to be frozen to kill any moths which could damage it.

Nearby Aberystwyth University stepped in to help after hearing of an appeal by the artists' behind the cardigan.

And it also intends to display the knitwear once the freezing process is over.

A spokesman for the university said the cardigan would be stored at its Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS).

He added: "Using conventional freezers items would need to be frozen for three weeks.

"However as the freezers at IBERS work at - 80 Celsius (-112 Fahrenheit) this means the cardigan would freeze much more quickly."

And the offer has been welcomed by the cardigan's guardians.

"We are very grateful to Aberystwyth University for their help in freezing the cardigan to get rid of any moths and for the offer of putting it on display afterwards," said Ms Hellier, a community artist based in nearby Eglwyswrw.