Lilliput Lane was founded in September 1982 in the Lake District by sculptor David Tate and was known for its extensive range of realistic miniature handmade models of real English and Welsh cottages and scenes.
It produced models ranging from The Tower of London and Tower Bridge to small fisherman's bothies and cottages. Usually based on a real building, Lilliput Lane Cottages are originally carved in wax, with each stone and shingle being added individually. From that model, a silicone mould is made, and from that mould, the final cottage is cast in Amorphite, which is a Lilliput Lane invention. The initial line released in that first September consisted of 14 models. Since the company name had not been determined as of yet, some early models, such as Dale House, Acorn Cottage, and Coach House, have no backstamp on them. This makes these pieces especially valuable to collectors.
“We drive thousands of miles a year, photographing cottages in and around the country, the cold, wet ones, as well as the warm, comfortable ones. It’s from those photographs that we actually put a design together.” David Tate
In 1997 Enesco acquired the company and after moving to Langholm, Scotland in 2009, announced they were closing their production factory and ceasing the manufacture of Lilliput Lane in 2016.
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