Painting the Past into the Present: Delftware at The Golden Hinde
As part of London Design Festival 2025, The Golden Hinde joined forces with Better Bankside and Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA) for a hands-on workshop that invited families to explore the artistry of Delftware tiles.
The day began with a playful challenge: a scavenger hunt around the decks. Armed with a factsheet, participants set out to find six hidden Delftware sherds tucked into corners of the ship. Each discovery came with a story, offering clues about London’s long history with this distinctive pottery - connecting the fun of the hunt to genuine fragments of the past. A highlight was the Great Cabin where the MOLA team displayed a range of beautiful tiles from 13th Century medieval through to 16th and 17th Century Delftware, all found in London - tiles telling stories of trade and connection around the world. Once completed, the trail led families to the Hold where tables were spread with blank tiles, bold paints, and patterns to inspire. Families of all ages picked up brushes to create something uniquely their own. Some echoed the delicate blue-and-white floral motifs that once made Delftware a London staple, while others experimented with vivid colours and contemporary twists. The result was a lively blend of history and imagination, captured tile by tile.
What made the afternoon special was its spirit of play and discovery. For younger visitors, it was the joy of choosing colours and bringing shapes to life. For parents, it was a chance to sit side by side with their children and share in the act of making. And for all involved, the event highlighted the role of design as storytelling- showing how an everyday object like a tile can carry centuries of culture, craft, and identity.
Being part of London Design Festival gave us the chance to step into a wider conversation about creativity in the city. Across Bankside, design projects were unfolding in galleries, shops, and streets. On board The Golden Hinde, those same ideas - heritage, reinvention, and imagination - were given a hands-on family focus. This is exactly what makes LDF so exciting: it’s not just about what professionals produce, but how communities participate. Here, design was something to be done together, not just looked at - a celebration of history, creativity, and shared experience.
We’re already looking forward to future years of taking part in Bankside Design District, continuing to explore how creativity connects people, places, and stories.
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