Why I Created Eleven Bibury
I have always been drawn to places that carry stories. As a child, I spent weekends wandering through National Trust houses, wondering who lived there and how life unfolded within those walls. That early fascination with history never left me; it simply gathered new threads - literature, design, making - until it became a way of seeing the world.
After reading English Language and Literature at Hull, I moved into advertising - a rigorous, creative training ground where I learned how ideas meet reality. Those years taught me resilience, focus and the craft of clarity. Later, I stepped away to raise a family, but I never stopped learning: art, interiors, the history of craft. I didn't know precisely what I was preparing for, only that it would be something I believed in.
In 2021, a run-down historic building in the heart of Bibury came up for sale. I have lived in the village for over twenty-five years; I understand its rhythms, its heritage and the responsibility that comes with both. The building had long served a commercial role in village life. I was determined that tradition would continue - thoughtfully, and in a way that respected where we are.
Eleven Bibury is my response to that call. It is a place shaped by the spirit of the Arts & Crafts movement - an insistence on beauty with purpose, on honest materials, on craft done well - reimagined for today. We stock work by contemporary Makers because provenance matters; we serve food and coffee with the same care; we invite people to slow down and look closely. Everything here has earned its place.
I am honoured to serve as President of the Gloucestershire Guild of Craftsmen. Many of the Makers we show are members, working in studios across our county. Their skills are part of our shared heritage; their work belongs in everyday life, not for show. Eleven is one way of making that belief visible - through curated capsule collections, conversations in the shop and the pleasure of using beautiful, useful things.
Our values are simple: creativity, inclusivity and integrity. We curate with care. We welcome everyone. We tell the truth about how things are made and why they cost what they do. Above all, we keep the door open - to the village, to visitors from across the world, and to anyone who wants to live a little more beautifully. That is why I created Eleven Bibury.
- Lady Anne