MAIN GALLERY CLOSURE & JULY FILMING UPDATE

The main gallery is currently closed for exhibition changeover. Pitzhanger Manor and Marthe Armitage: Pattern Maker remain open, with discounted admission available.

On 8–19 July, further closures will be in place due to filming activity. During this period, the main gallery, café, shop, Monk’s Dining Room and Wonder Room will be closed. Discounted admission will remain available for access to the open areas of Pitzhanger Manor, including Marthe Armitage: Pattern Maker.

Visitors requiring step-free access to the Manor on 8–19 July will need to enter and exit via the Eating Room door from the Front Garden. The accessible toilet in the main gallery will not be available; the nearest accessible toilet is at the Rickyard in Walpole Park, near the playground.

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Marthe Armitage, ‘Angelica two-colour wallpaper design (version two)’, hand-printed on the Press. Designed in 1980s. © Marthe Armitage

2026

Last Chance | 19 March – 19 July 2026

Marthe Armitage: Pattern Maker

Book your tickets here

2026

Last Chance | 19 March – 19 July 2026

Marthe Armitage: Pattern Maker

Book your tickets here

“The queen of wallpaper”

The Sunday Times

“The motifs themselves are both original and sophisticated.”

House & Garden

Overview

This exhibition explores Armitage’s distinctive approach to pattern making in wallpaper and fabric design. The child of Dutch parents, Marthe is renowned for her hand-drawn, hand-printed patterns created in her Chiswick studio. Now aged 95, she is one of Britain’s most beloved designers and is celebrated for the intricate and imaginative detail that still imbues her work, and the expert craftmanship of her practice.

As the title suggests, Pattern Maker traces Armitage’s artistic process — from initial sketches, tracings and lino blocks to finished wallpapers and textiles — revealing the journey behind each work.

Her designs are rooted in the landscapes, riverbanks, and architectural details of her local Chiswick surroundings — where she and her family have lived since 1939 — and translate the familiar, such as a chestnut tree or an angelica plant into the fantastical, transforming everyday scenes into immersive decorative worlds.

This focused exhibition brings together original drawings and tracings, prints, archival material, and large-scale installed wallpapers and fabric, offering an intimate insight into the life and work of an artist whose designs have quietly shaped British interiors for more than half a century. At Pitzhanger, Armitage’s celebration of craft and place finds an appropriate, resonant setting, echoing Sir John Soane’s own passion for pattern, narrative, and the handmade.

“What has made her designs so distinct and so covetable is their apparent freedom.”

RA Magazine

“A doyenne of wallpaper and fabric design.”

APOLLO Magazine

“A beloved British designer of nature-inspired, hand-drawn wallpapers and fabrics.”

Financial Times

“You need to see this”

ArtFund

“Pick of the spring”

Country Life

“An exceptional creator on our doorstep.”

The Chiswick Calendar

Date

19 March – 19 July 2026

Venue

Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery
Ealing Green, London W5 5EQ

Tickets

Access with general admission

Ticket includes entry to Sir John Soane’s historic house and the exhibitions

Enjoy flexible admission during the following times:

  • Unlimited access for Members at all times.
  • Pay-what-you-can: Sundays 10am–noon and First Thursdays 5–8pm for Ealing Borough residents. Pre-booking required, subject to availability.

Concessions available

How to book a group visit

Exhibition Events

Members’ Morning — Marthe Armitage and Phoebe Collings-James

1 April 2026, 9–10am

Family Clay Workshop with Annabel Johnson

8 and 9 April 2026, 10am–2pm (drop-in)

Marthe Armitage Printmaking Demonstration with Jo Broadhurst

7 May 2026, 4.40–5.30pm and 6.30–7.30pm

Family Clay Workshop with Annabel Johnson

28 May 2026, 10am–noon and 12.30–2.30pm

© Will Hartley for Art Fund 2025

Membership

Get free, unlimited entry to Pitzhanger and invitations to exclusive Members events while supporting the work of Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery.

More info

Enquiries

+44 (0) 20 3985 8888, pitzhanger@pitzhanger.org.uk

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Last Chance | 19 March – 19 July 2026

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Contact Us

Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery
Ealing Green, London W5 5EQ

Ticketing, Opening Hours and Tour Enquiries: foh@pitzhanger.org.uk
Retail Enquires: retail@pitzhanger.org.uk

Reception: 020 3985 8888
Venue Hire: 020 3994 0966
Office: 020 3994 0967

Wednesday - Sunday: 10:00 - 17:00
First Thursday of the month: 10:00 - 20:00
Monday - Tuesday: Closed
Bank Holidays: 10:00 - 17:00

Last admissions one hour before closing

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