Friday 25 September, 11-12 p.m.: Object Viewing, 17th-Century Embroidered Stumpwork at Fenton House

Fenton House, Hampstead Grove, London NW3 6RT, United Kingdom

Fenton House is a beautifully preserved seventeenth-century house nestled in the heart of Hampstead and cared for by the National Trust. One of London’s hidden treasures, the house is renowned for its rich collections of decorative arts, including ceramics, paintings and historic textiles. Surrounded by picturesque walled gardens and with sweeping views across the London skyline, Fenton House offers visitors a rare sense of intimacy and discovery, revealing the textures of domestic life across centuries.

Among its most remarkable treasures is a collection of seventeenth-century embroidered stumpwork panels and caskets. These highly detailed works were created by young women in affluent Stuart households and display extraordinary technical skill and imagination. Rich with raised embroidery, intricate stitching and miniature figures dressed in fashionable seventeenth-century costume, the scenes combine biblical stories, pastoral landscapes, flora and animals in elaborate stitched compositions that blur the line between embroidery and sculpture.

Event Description

As part of Selvedge Textile Month, this special object viewing offers a rare opportunity to look closely at selected examples of seventeenth-century stumpwork from the Fenton House collection. Guided by members of the house team, visitors will explore the craftsmanship, symbolism and social history woven into these remarkable pieces, while learning more about the materials, techniques and cultural context behind them. Set within the atmospheric interiors of Fenton House itself, the event invites visitors to slow down and appreciate the extraordinary detail and storytelling held within historic embroidery.

Event Cancellation Policy
All bookings are non-refundable. However, if you let us know that you are unable to attend an event you have booked at least two weeks before the event, we will open up your place. If we find another participant, you will be offered a credit note.

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