The Bolthole was established in the Summer of 2019 when we (interior designer, Debra Harris and textile designer Sarah Fennell) discovered a common design ethos and decided to share a studio at Maws Craft Centre in the Ironbridge Gorge in Shropshire. We began to explore our shared interest in sourcing vintage furniture, fabric and furnishings and so our studio became a hub for creatives looking to uncover new ways of making a home with old things.
Passionate about introducing people to traditional and heritage crafts and encouraging the re-use of beautiful, well-made vintage pieces, we launched a programme of design and upcycling workshops. These quickly took off and soon created the need for more space than our little studio could offer.
So less than a year after it all started, we moved… and now have a beautiful new home, ‘The Bolthole Store’, in the heart of Ironbridge, a World Heritage Site.
At the same time, we were joined by Claire, an incredible baker who used to provide cakes for our workshops. Founder of ‘Queenies’, one of the region’s best-known cupcake brands, she’s been the driving force being the establishment of our ‘Cakebar’, a quiet spot serving delicious cakes, coffee and lots of local treats.
‘A Bolthole’ is traditionally a place of refuge and sanctuary, away from the craziness outside. For us, our new store is a creative oasis and haven from the humdrum, so it seemed the perfect name.
There, now you know x