IMPORTANT NOTICE
This website is still in early development and subject to change, if you notice any errors please feel free to email robert@handmaderugs with any suggestions.
HANDMADE RUGS
Our rugs are hand-knotted in either Afghanistan, India, Pakistan or Nepal. We use hand-spun wool and natural dyes, with many months of love in every rug. Centuries of tradition in every piece.
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Welcome to Handmade Rugs of Rye
We are an independent East Sussex–based supplier of handmade rugs, crafted by skilled artisan weavers in rural weaving communities across Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, and Nepal.
Each rug is a unique piece, individually sourced and hand-selected for its beauty, quality, and craftsmanship.
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Our Rye Showroom
Our passion for handmade rugs is clearly reflected in our Rye showroom, housed inside a beautifully restored former bank on Rye High Street. Inside, you’ll find an extensive and carefully curated collection of handmade rugs in a wide range of designs, colours, and styles.
Every rug we display showcases the combination of high-quality yarns, sophisticated designs, and the exceptional skill of the weavers—resulting in timeless pieces that bring warmth, character, and lasting beauty to your home. These are rugs designed to be enjoyed for decades.
From the loom to you
We are committed to sustaining the heritage of this ancient cottage industry, which remains largely unchanged to this day. All our rugs are handwoven on looms in the homes of skilled artisans, many of whom have learned their craft through generations of tradition.
These weaving communities are scattered across remote towns and villages in Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and Nepal, where rug weaving plays a vital role in supporting rural livelihoods and local economies.
The result is more than just a rug—it is a piece of living heritage, made with care, skill, and passion, and created to bring enduring joy into your home.
48 Years of Experience
Bill Hill started with antique rugs at Vigo Carpet Gallery in the West End of London in 1978. Excluding a 12-month sabbatical selling rugs in Perth and Double Bay, Australia, Bill was at Vigo until 2001. When he started his own business with his then business partner Peter Auckland, he worked with both interior decorators and in wholesale supplying John Lewis and others.
They were as Hill & Co. until 2016, when Bill decided to return to retail as Handmade Rugs, where he remains today. First opening in Alresford and Tenterden, and now in Rye and Alresford, we look forward to welcoming you to both of our galleries.
Address
Rye
The Old Bank
84 High Street
Rye
TN31 7JP
Alresford
19-21 West Street
New Alresford
Hampshire
SO24 9AB
Opening Hours
Monday
10am - 5pm
Tuesday
10am - 5pm
Wednesday
Closed
Thursday
Closed
Friday
10am - 5pm
Saturday
10am - 5pm
Sunday
11am - 4pm