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Entry #15: Mudlen End Studio Cottages

We regularly deal in little house figurines, so I was taken by surprise when these sweet little cottages crossed my screen, and I fell in love!


Many Mudlen End Cottages sitting on a white shelf; there are various sizes of blue and white transferware plates behind them and on the shelf below. There are also large silver plates behind the blue and white transferware. A leafy plant is near the bottom left of the screen.

I couldn't believe how adorable those hosues are! They looked exactly like the houses we encountered when we visited England in 2013, which only adds to their charm, I think. It was like seeing a memory in real time!


But, as I continued to flip through pages and pages, following the photos down a rabbit hole while my husband and daughter watched old seasons of Dexter, questions just kept running through my brain, like: What were they? How old were they? How had I not heard of them? And where could I get my hands on some??


Many Mudlen End Studios cottages sitting on a deep brown, hand carved shelf. There are dark green books behind them, as well as a antique gold crown.
Mudlen End Studios Cottages sitting on the same hand carved shelf as before. Deep green books are standing behind them, as well as a pile near the front with gold pages.

Well, my internet sluthing won me an answer to at least a few of those questions! These adorable little cottages are called Mudlen End Studio Cottages (or Cottage Houses, it's interchangable) and were created in the 1960s and 70s by James Hart, in Suffolk, England. He modeled each by hand in the early years, and the first fifty he made were bought up by American visitors!


A close-up photo of red-and-brown Mudlen End Cottages on the hand carved wooden shelf with the antique golden crown behind it; there are green books and a marble lamp right beside them.

He had a very small workshop (so much so that two people couldn't fit into it!) and after the Mudlens were ready, he would sell them out of a showman's caravan, and more often than not, they would be bought up by American servicepeople as souviners or just gifts to send back home. How funny, and crazy, that even today, we still love these little houses!


Mr. Hart also created other products, like shire horses, 'loving' cups, mugs, and so much more! Sadly, Mudlen End was dissolved in 1993, ceasing production on these sweet little homes, and Mr. Hart passed away in 2004 from cancer. However, his son - and the many Mudlen End enthusiasts - have kept Mudlen End Cottages alive and well! There have been copies (many of them!) but there is nothing like a true, original Mudlen End Studios Cottage.


A gathering of Mudlen End Studios houses standing in two rows on the bottom shelf of a wooden, carved Estanier. There is a large blue and white transferware platter behind the houses.

Through scouting and hunting, I've amassed a little collection, and have some I'm ready to pass on to other collectors, as well! These are posted in the Etsy Shop under our 'Antiques' section, and are ready to move to their new homes, in sets of three. Here are a few examples of the Mudlen End Studio Cottages up for sale:


Three creamy white Mudlen End houses with matching green-brown roofs sitting on a white shelf, with blue and white transferware plates behind them.
Three Mudlen End Studios cottages sitting on a white shelf with various sized blue-and-white transferware plates behind them. The left and right cottages are creamy white and rectangular, while the house in the middle is round, and shaped like a Yurt, with a tan roof, while the other two rooves are a dark brown.
Three Mudlen End Studios houses sitting on a white shelf, with various sized blue-and-white transferware plates behind them. The left and right mudlen houses are rectangular and feature brown-gray rooves, while the house in the middle is fire engine red, and circular, like a Yurt, with a gray roof.
Three very alike Mudlen End cottages sitting on a white shelf with various sizes of blue-and-white transferware plates behind them. All houses have a chocolate brown roof and creamy-white walls. All houses have dark brown beams reminiscent of a Tudor style. The house on the left and right are both rectangular, while the house in the middle stands straight up.

If you'd like to read the whole history of Mr. James Hart, Mudlen End Studios, and much more, this website (also pasted below) is incredibly informative! I've spent hours there already!


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