Merton Abbey

PHOTOGRAPHS OF MORRIS AND COMPANY

Merton Abbey

Morris & Company’s workshops at Merton Abbey. Photographed in the 1890s.

Towards the end of 1881, Morris & Company’s workshops were moved from cramped premises in Queen Square, Bloomsbury, to Merton Abbey, Surrey, where a textile factory had existed on the site since the 18th century. None of the old buildings was demolished, though extensive repairs were necessary. The photograph, taken from the footbridge over the river Wandle, shows the workshops for stained glass (top floor) and for textile dyeing (ground floor).