[1] Little is known about the premises of the Works before the nineteenth century, when maps, art, photography, and published descriptions of the site all documented its layout.

[2] When Morris & Co. began their lease in 1881, the Works consisted of a seven-acre site spanning the River Wandle, which runs northeast through the area.

[4] The Works were part of a long history of textile industry along the River Wandle in what is now southwest London.

[6] By the end of the 1870s, Morris & Co. had outgrown their premises at 26 Queen Square, a row house in Bloomsbury, central London.

The company's showroom moved to Oxford Street in 1877, and by the end of 1880, the need for a dedicated manufacturing space was also clear.

After visiting several sites on the outskirts of London and as far away as Blockley in the Cotswolds, Morris settled on the Merton Abbey Works.

In her article about the visit, she recorded that "One is not surprised to find his factory a scene of cheerful, uncramped industry, where toil looks like pleasure, where flowers are blooming in the windows, and sunshine and fresh air brighten the faces of artist and mechanic.

"[13]The move to Merton Abbey enabled Morris & Co. to expand their manufacturing operations and to pursue new techniques.

Morris had long wanted to find a vivid, consistent, and lightfast blue dye, but had been disappointed by experiments with his former collaborator and manufacturer, Thomas Wardle.

[14] At the Merton Abbey Works, Morris and his master-dyers were able to use the indigo discharge technique to achieve the blue he wanted.

"[15] Morris & Co. operated at the Merton Abbey Works for almost 60 years, creating a wide range of products.