Building    From 1619  To 1703

Mortlake Tapestry Works

Categories: Craft / Design

Barnes History has a nice hand-drawn map with a pin showing the location of these Tapestry Works, and it gives the history of the site. John Dee (1527 -1608) lived in a house on this site (with a large and important library) from 1566 until his death by which time he was very poor. In 1619 the estate was purchased and repurposed as the Mortlake Tapestry Works which employed skilled Flemish weavers to produce highly valued products. This closed in the early 18th century.

Another excellent source is Panorama of the Thames. This has another image of the river front which makes clear that the Lower Dutch House is the pink building, shown in our image, to the left of the steps down to the river. Our image is centred on the adjacent Queen's Head pub. The picture source website has researched the 'J.Firmston' named in the picture and this dates it to 1871-8. So the Lower Dutch House was still standing then.The name suggests there was another, upper, 'Dutch House' possibly standing further back from the river. 'Dutch' presumably came from the language/culture of the people working there.

The tapestries were so successful that Mortlake became famous for this product. The Lady Lever Art Gallery holds a set of the tapestries.

(The pub was rebuilt in 1885, closed in the 1940s and, by 2011 was developed into the residential Tapestry Court.)

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Mortlake Tapestry Works

Commemorated ati

Mortlake Tapestry Works

Site of the Lower Dutch House, part of the Mortlake Tapestry Works, 1619 - 1703.

Read More

Other Subjects

Kindersley Workshop

Kindersley Workshop

From the Workshop's website: "David Kindersley {1915–1995}, lettercutter, sculptor and inventor, started his workshop near Cambridge in 1946, having been apprenticed to Eric Gill. He was joined in ...

Group, Commerce, Craft / Design

1 memorial
garment and textile industries in the East End

garment and textile industries in the East End

The origins of the East End textile industry can be traced to the 14th century when Flemish artisans set up dye works on the River Lea. In the late 17th century the Huguenots arrived in Spitalfield...

Concept, Commerce, Craft / Design, Industry

4 memorials
Christopher Whall

Christopher Whall

Stained glass artist, Born at The Rectory, Thurning, Huntingdonshire. His major stained glass works are in Gloucester and Canterbury Cathedrals and he influenced many artists in Britain and America...

Person, Art, Craft / Design

1 memorial
T. J. Jordan and Sons

T. J. Jordan and Sons

Made the 1920 WW1 memorial at Willesden bus garage.

Group, Craft / Design

1 memorial
Gordon W. Newton

Gordon W. Newton

A stonemason with a business in East Farleigh, Maidstone: The Stone Shop. Now aided by his daughter, he has generously taken it on himself to ensure the Stephen Lawrence memorial is repaired and we...

Person, Craft / Design

2 memorials