Brambly Hedge china is a fanciful design line by Royal Doulton that's based on a series of charming children's books. Jill Barklem, the author of the Brambly Hedge books, worked closely with the designers at Royal Doulton to create these adorable patterns. Available in both china and figurines, Brambly Hedge is quite popular among china collectors.
About Brambly Hedge China
First introduced in a series of children's books published in 1980, Brambly Hedge describes a community of mice that carry out their daily activities and live in homes that have intriguing addresses like:
- Crabapple Cottage
- The Old Oak Palace
- The Hornbeam Tree
Characters like Poppy Eyebright and Primrose Woodmouse live their simple lives within the safety of Brambly Hedge and sometimes find themselves going on great adventures. These stories and delightful illustrations have charmed children and adults alike since they were first published in the early '80s and bring back the cottage nostalgia of famous authors like Beatrix Potter's works.
Brambly Hedge China Series and Patterns
Brambly Hedge china was created in several patterns. The patterns have been discontinued and are now considered collector's items. Many of the more popular pieces are difficult to find.
Tea Time Collection
The Brambly Hedge teapot in the Tea Time collection has an image of the characters of Brambly Hedge having tea together sitting at a long table. There were also sandwich plates and other pieces in this pattern.
Four Seasons Collectible Plates
Brambly Hedge Seasons collectible plates were created in four designs. Each plate is eight inches in diameter and features a different season of the Brambly Hedge year, and there're tea cups and saucers to match each of the collector's plates.
- Autumn - Autumn features Primrose among the blackberry bushes.
- Winter - Winter gives a glimpse of Mr. and Mrs. Apple's domestic life as they eat pie by a roaring fire.
- Spring - Spring has an adorable scene, with Wilfred playing with his slingshot among the yellow flowers.
- Summer - Summer celebrates the engagement of Miss Poppy Eyebright and Mr. Dusty Dogwood.
Sea Story Collection
The Sea Story collection is a set of four nautically inspired designs:
- Meeting on the Sand
- Dining by the Sea
- Rigging the Boat
- Homeward Bound
Primrose Adventure Series
The Primrose Adventure series of plates included four plates produced from 1991 to 1995:
- Primrose Adventure
- Where's Primrose
- The Search Party
- Safe at Last
Interiors Collection
The Interiors Collection showed scenes from the cozy interiors of some of the finest real estate in Brambly Hedge.
- Storestump
- Old Oak Palace
- The Dairy
- Crabapple Cottage
Mrs. Apple's Kitchen
From 1995 through 1997, Royal Doulton produced a melamine set entitled Mrs. Apple's Kitchen. These late-20th century pieces resembled the bone china of their previous dinningware series, but were crafted out of a more affordable plastic-like material. Thus, pieces from this series, although lovely, aren't worth very much at auction.
How to Collect Brambly Hedge China
There are, of course, many more series and patterns in the Brambly Hedge china collection. It would be difficult to collect each piece from each series; therefore, most collectors choose a series that they love and collect as many authentic pieces as possible from that one. Another way to collect Brambly Hedge collectibles would be to collect a certain item from each series. For example:
- Cake plates from each series in which one was created
- Tea cups and saucers from each series
- Cream pitchers from each series
And so on. By doing this, it is possible to have most of the illustrations without having to find a place to display the many hundreds of pieces that were created in the years that Royal Doulton crafted the china.
Brambly Hedge Collectibles Value Estimates
Based on current market sales, these china pieces can be worth $20-$100 depending on if they're in mint condition or not and which series the pieces belong to. Undoubtedly, the Seasons Series is the most abundant one available, with hundreds of people selling their own Winter or Autumn pieces to customers like you. Given the fact that these pieces are so common, they have the smallest values, amounting to individual plates costing collectors around $20, such as with this Autumn cup and saucer set that sold for just over $22 on eBay.
There are pieces from this Royal Doulton line that can fetch significantly higher prices; for example, the various Brambly Hedge teapots or tea sets with the accompanying tea pots sell for around $200 on average. One buyer bought a particularly well-kept Tea Time teapot for just over $250 on eBay. Similarly, auction lots of larger sets of this chinaware will bring in higher values. For instance, one buyer recently purchased a 12-piece set of the Four Seasons collection for just under $200.
Peek Through the Collector's Hedge
Be brave like all of the Brambly Hedges' woodland creatures and take a peek through the collector's hedge at these delightfully delicate pieces of china. With multiple different series and a cottage aesthetic, these plates, saucers, tea cups, and tea pots will bring your childhood tea party to life.
