Bobbin lace was introduced to England in the late 16th century, probably arriving from Flanders and Italy, regions well-known for their lace-making traditions. The craft gained a stronger foothold in England with the arrival of Protestant Huguenot refugees from continental Europe, who brought their lace-making expertise with them.
Bobbin lace developed into a thriving cottage industry across parts of rural England, becoming particularly prominent in Devon, where Honiton lace was made, and in the Midlands counties of Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, and Northamptonshire, where styles like Bucks Point and Bedfordshire lace evolved. Lace-making was typically done at home by women and children, providing an important source of income for many rural families.
The 18th and 19th centuries saw bobbin lace reach peak popularity. Lace was widely used in fashion, on church linen and later as part of the household decoration of middle class homes. The craft experienced a steep decline in the second half of the 19th century primarily due to the invention of a variety of lace machines and the proliferation of machine-made lace. Factories in Nottingham and surrounding areas could produce attractive lace much faster and at a lower cost than workers making handmade lace. By the end of the 19th century, many workers in their struggle to compete were rushing their work, often using old and worn out patterns, and as a result much of the lace produced at that time was badly made and pieces that have survived have given bobbin lace a bad name. Rural lace industries faded away, however some individuals and groups managed to preserve traditions, techniques and tools.
The second half of the 20th century saw a revival of interest in making lace, particularly bobbin lace, and this was given an extra boost by the establishment of a rigorous City and Guilds lace qualification (now no longer available). Today individuals can rarely sell their lace, instead they are making lace for the joy of it, reconstructing the old patterns and using centuries’ old techniques to create new and exciting pieces in two and three dimensions. Lace is no longer just white, ecru or black, instead it can be any colour under the sun and any size you like.
Bobbin lace is one of the two ‘real laces’ that have been made since the 16th century – the second is needle lace. Among the many other varieties of handmade lace to be found today are the craft laces including crochet, knitting and tatting, and hybrid laces which combine hand work with machine-made elements such as net and tape.
Bobbin laces can be divided into two main groups: the continuous laces and the non-continuous ones. Continuous laces are ones where all (or nearly all) the threads needed are hung on at the start and continue in use throughout; some of these laces may require a hundred or more bobbins/threads. Non-continuous laces include pieced and braid laces which are usually worked with relatively few threads/bobbins.
Bobbin lace gets its name from the handles – bobbins – on which individual threads are wound. The basic techniques are quite simple: a pair of bobbins is held in each hand, each pair is twisted right over left then the two centre bobbins (and their threads) are crossed left over right; repeating the movements twist, cross, twist, cross……produces a plait. Twist/cross (or cross/twist) makes a half-stitch; cross/twist/cross makes a cloth-stitch. Working takes place over a firm pillow using numerous pairs in turn. Some stitches and changes of direction are held in place by pins pushed into the pillow; simple patterns can be worked directly on the pillow, more complex ones require a full-size pattern marked on card, often with ready pricked holes.
Most of the lace made in the Midlands was continuous lace, while Honiton lace was mainly a pieced lace consisting of numerous linked motifs. The best known of the Midlands laces is Bucks Point, a continuous lace with a light hexagonal mesh background, floral features worked in cloth-stitch outlined with a thicker gimp thread and an outer edge of picots (little loops). A new form of continuous lace – Maltese lace – was introduced at the 1851 Great Exhibition in London, this has a more open background with plaits instead of a mesh. Maltese lace attracted a lot of interest and a similar lace (now known as Bedfordshire) was gradually adopted in England featuring flowers and other motifs worked mainly in cloth-stitch, and linked by plaits and small leaf-shaped blocks known as tallies.
Lacemakers today have a wide pallet of bobbin lace styles to choose from, many concentrate on Torchon (a geometric form of continuous lace), while others like to experiment with different styles. In addition to the English laces, these include Bruges flower lace (a pieced lace), Milanese (a tape lace) and Binche (a continuous lace). Coloured and other non-traditional yarns are often used and there are many experiments with motifs, people, animals and freeform pieces with less emphasis on edgings and 19th century patterns.
Non-bobbin laces
Non-bobbin laces are not currently included in our data. Heritage Crafts is aware that these need additional research to establish levels of endangerment.
A wide variety of hand working techniques may be used to produce hybrid laces, or lace-like, fabrics, these include the so called craft laces: Knitting*; Crochet*; Tenerife; Tatting; Netting.
Other forms of lace include machine-made elements, usually woven fabric, a tape or a fine machine-made mesh (net).
Fabric based
Net based
The invention by John Heathcoat in 1810 of a fine machine-made net opened the way for a wide range of hybrid laces including
Tape-based
Hundreds of different machine-made tapes became available in the second half of the nineteenth century; these can form the basis of relatively quickly made lace. Among the best of the tape laces was Branscombe Point*, first made in Devon in the second half of the 19th century when Honiton bobbin lace was declining, this uses a fine woven tape and a variety of needlelace stitches. Much coarser Battenberg tapes appeared at the end of the 19th century and these are still being used today, mainly in China to make wedding parasols and fans. Princess Lace is composed of machine-made tapes hand-stitched to machine net.
Most lacemakers today have attempted at least one of the above non-bobbin laces.
* indicates that there were once active industries in the UK or Ireland producing this type of lace.
Honiton Lace (Devon) – One of the most famous English lace styles, Honiton lace originates from the town of Honiton in East Devon. This style is known for its finely worked floral motifs, which are made separately and then appliquéd onto a net ground. Honiton lace is especially associated with royal garments—most notably, Queen Victoria’s wedding dress in 1840, which featured hand-made Honiton lace with delicate, naturalistic flowers.
Bucks Point Lace (Buckinghamshire) – Bucks Point lace was produced primarily in Buckinghamshire, including towns like Olney, Newport Pagnell, and Aylesbury. This lace is recognised for its light, airy quality, created using a fine net-like background known as the point ground. Bucks Point often includes tiny floral motifs and uses gimp threads—slightly thicker threads—to outline and accentuate design elements. Its fine detail and elegance made it highly prized.
Bedfordshire Lace – In Bedfordshire, a distinct lace style emerged in the 19th century. Bedfordshire lace has a bolder and more flowing appearance compared to Bucks Point. It typically features curved floral designs and incorporates plaits and tallies into the pattern.
Northamptonshire Lace – While sharing many features with the lace of neighbouring counties, Northamptonshire developed its own lace-making identity. The styles from this region often overlapped with those from Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire, but individual villages contributed unique touches to their patterns. The close geographical ties among these counties allowed for shared techniques and the evolution of regional styles.
Torchon Lace (Widespread in the UK) – Torchon lace was not specific to any one UK region but became widely practiced throughout the country. Its simple, geometric patterns made it ideal for teaching and for beginners. Constructed on a square grid with fewer bobbins, Torchon lace creates bold and easily recognizable designs. Because of its accessibility, it remains a popular style among hobbyists and learners.
There are also numerous local lace groups.
In the UK today there is no formal qualification for bobbin lace teachers. At the start of the lace revival in the second half of the 20th century Devon County Council was still organising Honiton lace classes and training teachers, while the WI began running sessions for new lace teachers. Some Adult Education organisations have required a qualification for teaching adults, however this rarely, if ever, relates specifically to teaching lace making.
There are now numerous lacemakers in the UK who are teaching bobbin lace with no formal training, some sharing a limited range of skills with a small group at home or in a local community hall; others with the ability to teach a wide range of laces both to beginners and to experienced lacemakers wishing to add more lace types to the ones they already understand, or to start designing their own patterns in traditional or contemporary style.
At the moment work is still needed to prepare a list of teachers and their specialities.
The Lace Guild maintains a list of lace makers who teach their skills.
The Lace Guild maintains a list of lace making groups and teachers in the UK
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