2015 marked a turning point. Leaseholds unlocked. Community voices rose. And creativity found its way into forgotten spaces. From WhatsApp chats to the first Dead Pigeon Gallery, these were the sparks that ignited the Fabric District we know today.
Discover how The Tapestry weathered the industrial shifts of the early 2000s, the battle against redevelopment, and the first seeds of creative regeneration in Liverpool’s Fabric District.
In the early 1980s, this corner of Liverpool was nearly forgotten. Until Charlie Abbott and his family stepped in. What started as a search for a better workspace became a full-on transformation — reviving not one, but two abandoned warehouses on Gildart and Kempston Street. Through grit, creativity, and a few bold moves. Taylor’s Screen Print helped breathe new life into the Fabric District. This chapter of The Tapestry’s story is one of family, reinvention, and resilience.
As bombs fell on Liverpool during WWII, the streets around The Tapestry — Gildart, Kempston & Constance — largely stood firm. Their sturdy warehouses survived the Blitz and entered a new era as part of Liverpool’s wholesale heartland. From fabric merchants and hat-makers to Harris’s Toys and short-lived fashion ventures, this was the Fabric District’s mid-century transformation — gritty, industrious, and full of change. By the 1960s, sewing machines hummed, leathers were pressed, and deals were made on every corner… until decline hit in the ’70s.