There are some doubts about the origin of the needle lace called Point d'Angleterre, and about the fact that this lace, dating back to the seventeenth century, was a "made in England" product and it seems more probable that it was actually from Belgium, and more exactly from Brussels. In fact it looks quite strange that such an important lace centre as Brussels after inventing a new type of lace decided to call it "point d'Angleterre".

On the contrary, many experts think that this type of lace was actually made in Brussels to be later smuggled to England, since both England, with king Charles II, and France with the minister of finance Colbert, emanated laws to forbid the import of Brussels lace, in order to encourage local industry. Once in England, this lace was in fact sold as if it were a product made in Devonshire.

Bobbin lace was used for the ground net and the patterns (exotic flowers and leaves being the most common elements); the internal details were instead in needle lace.

Further reading:

Cfr. M.E. Jones, The Romance of Lace, Londra, New York 1951.