Braintree Textiles - Fairfield Road, Braintree, Essex, UK - UK Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

For centuries, Braintree has enjoyed a presence in the world's textile industry...

With its roots in the woollen industry, by the 1800s, the town's silk weaving industry was preparing to take its place on a global stage, gaining momentum when the Huguenots migrated from East London to settle in the area.

Benjamin Warner had been involved in the manufacture of textiles since his youth, and the family’s heritage lay in Spitalfield's silk weaving industry of the 17th century. Formed in Braintree in the 19th century, Warner & Sons maintained a link to its Huguenot roots, gaining recognition for its high-quality, hand-woven silks. When woven cloths gave way to a fashion for printed textiles, the Company became famed for its innovative approach to the manufacturing of textiles, with a design team which consistently pushed the boundaries of design.

Until 1971, Warner & Sons produced strong, traditional designs at its premises New Mill on Silks Way, where the Warner Textile Archive is located today.

The early period in the town's textile heritage has been translated info metal woven panels, exposing the structure of cloth and revealing the skill and expertise of a hand weaver.

The design 'Bird on Bough' (1962) is one example of the Company's reinterpretation of a traditional design motif with its contemporary audience in mind. The original paper design was painted by hand for printed cotton fabric, and can be seen here reproduced on the walls of this space, along with four versions printed on cotton in other colours. These are all reproduced from the originals in the Archive.

This recognisable repeating design has as much popular appeal today as in colonial Britain of the 18th century, reflecting the evolution of Braintree’s textile industry and the strength of the towns heritage and traditions.