Our studio is on Bouverie Mews, a cobbled cul-de-sac off Bouverie Road. Across from us is a cool company that makes animatronics and across the way the popular Cloudstreet restaurant and Macintosh Ales brewery.
Bouverie Road has a rich local history rooted in Victorian suburban expansion, industrial innovation, and wartime events.
In the late 19th century, as Stoke Newington transformed from a semi-rural village into a dense London suburb following urban development acts, land was mapped and built out under agreements with the Ecclesiastical Commissioners.
BUT… the coolest fact about the area…. the factory the next mews over used rubber to make spheres JUST LIKE GLOBES! The Spencer Brothers Balloon Factory was a pioneer in the field of aeronautics and three generations of the Spencer family were dedicated adventurers.
In 1898 Stanley Spencer reached the remarkable height of 27,500 feet (five miles of vertical altitude). In 1906 Percival Spencer flew his balloon from London to Lake Geneva Switzerland, a distance of 420 miles in 16 hours. In 1908 Henry Spencer made and flew the first airship across London.
During WWII the factory focussed its attention on manufacturing and testing parachutes for the RAF.
Hopefully one day our little company will have as impressive a history.
The street suffered direct impact during World War II when a bomb hit Bouverie Road.
Through the 20th century, Bouverie Road maintained a tight-knit residential and industrial character, with local landmarks like neighborhood churches, small local engineering workshops, and tight community ties remembered by generations of East London residents.
Above :: Abney Mews N16 0AJ in its early incarnation as the former The Spencer Brothers Balloon Factory, Est. 1835 :: Click on the pictures to see them BIGGER :: Below :: Bellerby & Co making spheres of a different sort. Handmade, handcrafted and hand-painted world globes. Photo by Eva Donckers.
Above : 127cm (50 inch) diameter Ochre Churchill Globe – photo by Jade Fenster.
:: Info via Ever-Changing Mews :: More info on what Abney Mews is like today ::
Bellerby & Co Globemakers, London
Modern and traditional bespoke globes, handcrafted and hand painted bespoke to order.
We ship worldwide from our London studio.
Each globe is one of a kind and can be personalised. We will work with you to finalise your choice of colouring, base style, base material and finish, and through the many options of customisation and personalisation.
Sizing from 12cm to 127cm diameter, desktop / tabletop and floor standing globes. Terrestrial and celestial.
