Collecting Miniature English Cottages...

I was first introduced to the world of English cottage miniatures back in 1987.
My parents had put together a "care package" from home, and inside that huge cardboard box, which incidentally took almost two months of sea travel, were the beginnings of a lifetime collection.

Ten boxes of David Winter and Lilliput Lane Cottages, carefully hand chosen from a local gift shop, and packaged as if they were eggs, in order to survive the brutal handling, associated with overseas package delivery.

The story of David Winter Collections is as follows:

Gifted English sculptor David Winter is regarded as one of the foremost creators and sculptors of miniature architectural structures.
Born in Catterick, Yorkshire in December 1958 the youngest of three children, David was inspired by his mother, famed British sculptor Faith Winter.
It was in her studios that David experimented and perfected his inherited skills.
His first David Winter cottage was created in 1979 , The Mill House, and found instant acceptability both home and later abroad.

In 1988 the Company was awarded the Queens Award for Export. Each year an average of 80 companies are selected, from 10 times as many, to receive the award.
The recipients are entitled to fly the Queen's Award flag outside their premises and to use the emblem on stationery for a period of 5 years.

Wealden House

Throughout the years, my collection has grown, also including another miniature collection The Lilliput Lane Collection.

Each is packaged with a Certificate of Authenticity, after several years, the piece is retired, never to be molded again.
All of my pieces are now retired.

The cottages/houses range in size from four inches to a rambling twelve inches wide.

The Swan Inn.

Lilliput Lane Cottages story:
Lilliput Lane was founded in 1982 by David Tate.His ambition was to create the most realistic and architecturally accurate miniatures the world had seen.

Since then, Lilliput Lane has grown into an internationally renowned concern, famous for attention to detail and authenticity. Lilliput Lane cottages are hand-made in England by skilled craftspeople, sold in more than 50 countries and collected by many thousands of enthusiasts.

Moonlight Cottage.

Queen Elizabeth I Slept Here.

The Red Lion.The Parson's Retreat.

I'm also partial to these ceramic English replica's, the ones shown here, were a gift from a doctor and his wife, with whom I once worked.

Click on each picture, it will enlarge to show the meticulous detail.