The Living Legacy of William Morris

"The Noblest of the Weaving Arts” - The Living Legacy of William Morris

Dovecot and Morris & Co. share a connected history that started with the inspirational vision of Victorian designer, businessman, artist, printmaker and publisher William Morris (1834-1896).

To mark the occasion of the exhibition The Art of Wallpaper – Morris & Co. Dovecot invites you to explore our connection to William Morris through this balcony display. Here you can discover more about Morris’ revitalisation of the art of tapestry, and the tapestry studio he founded at Merton Abbey, near Wimbledon in South West London. The story then takes us from London to Scotland and the founding of The Dovecot Studio by the fourth Marquess of Bute (1881-1947) in a purpose-built, Arts & Crafts Style studio on the edge of Edinburgh. His agent employed two master weavers from the Morris & Co. workshop to bring their expertise to Edinburgh, founding a legacy for Scottish tapestry that survives in the city to this day.