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.)

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.

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Other Subjects

William Abeling

William Abeling

Clockmaker, lived and worked Wynyatt Street and in 1820 installed a watchmakers window. From the Keeper of the Clockmakers' Museum at Guildhall: "William Abeling (sic) was not a member of the Wor...

Person, Craft / Design

1 memorial
Chris Butcher

Chris Butcher

Artist blacksmith working with George James & Sons Blacksmiths.

Person, Craft / Design

1 memorial
Henry Prince

Henry Prince

The NPG has some information about this engineer/founder: Born c. 1817. Died April/March 1875. He maintained a foundry in the Grove, Great Guildford Street, Southwark for much of his life. He began...

Person, Craft / Design

4 memorials
Sir Henry Doulton

Sir Henry Doulton

Businessman, inventor and manufacturer of pottery. Born Vauxhall Walk where his father was a partner in a pottery business, Doulton and Watts. Followed his brother, John junior, into the business. ...

Person, Craft / Design, Industry, Politics & Administration

3 memorials
Guss Strehle

Guss Strehle

The foundry in Germany where the statue of Saint Volodymyr was cast.

Group, Craft / Design, Germany

1 memorial