Kelmscott Manor
Kelmscott Manor is a grade 1 listed Tudor farmhouse adjacent to the River Thames, dating from about 1600 and situated on the edge of the village of Kelmscott, near Lechlade.
William Morris (designer, writer and socialist) chose it as his summer home, signing a joint lease with Pre-Raphaelite painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti in 1871. Morris loved the house as a work of true craftsmanship, unspoilt, unaltered, and in harmony with the village and the surrounding countryside.
Visitors can enjoy much the same atmosphere now, around the house, barns, garden and stream. The house contains a collection of the possessions and works of Morris, his family and associates including furniture, textiles, pictures and ceramics. The site has a shop and licensed restaurant.
Kelmscott Manor is owned and managed by the Society of Antiquaries of London.
Venue Type:
Historic house or home, Museum, Garden, parklands or rural site, Heritage site
See also
Additional info
Access:
Car park is approx. 10 minutes' walk from the manor; drop-off point at Manor gates; blue badge parking on site. Wheelchair access to gardens, shop, restaurant and ground floor of the manor. There is an adapted toilet. A wheelchair is available. 'Access album' available for reference by visitors unable to gain access to upper floors.
The house contains an outstanding collection of the possessions and work of William Morris, his family and associates, including furniture, original textiles, carpets, books, paintings and ceramics.
The house and other buildings reflect the site's historic use as a farm. A permanent exhibition illustrates the Morris family association with the Manor and village.
Collection details
Agriculture, Costume and Textiles, Decorative and Applied Art, Personalities, Design
Key artists and exhibits
- William Morris. Jane Morris. May Morris. Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Philip Webb. Edward Burne Jones. W. A. S. Benson.
Mary Lobb — From Cornwall to Kelmscott: A Life Revealed
- 10 June — 28 October 2017 *on now
This eye-opening exhibition is the first to focus on Mary Frances Vivian Lobb (1878–1939), the companion of 22 years to May Morris while May lived at Kelmscott Manor (rural Oxfordshire). May, a designer and embroidery historian in her own right, was the younger daughter of famous Victorian designer, poet and social thinker William Morris (1834–96). This exhibition will contain photographs, documents and ephemera from the collections of The National Library of Wales and Kelmscott Manor – most of which have never been on public display before. Both organisations hope the exhibition will inspire greater interest into the life of Miss Lobb and encourage further research into this unique collection.
Little has previously been known about Mary Lobb, and the exhibition sheds light on her origins and family, the years she spent at Kelmscott and her relationship with May Morris. The exhibition will showcase photographs from their travels to Iceland as well as their many camping trips across England and Wales, and illustrate their mutual love of gardening and animals. In addition, it will also contain representative examples of the archive’s important and previously unseen reference material relating to William Morris’s research activities for his last great endeavour, the Kelmscott Press.
The Society of Antiquaries of London and the National Library of Wales exhibitions service have worked in partnership to mount the exhibition at Kelmscott Manor. It has been co-curated by Simon Evans (The National Collection of Welsh Photographs) and Dr Kathy Haslam (Kelmscott Manor). Simon was responsible for identifying, re-assembling and researching this extensive archive, which was deposited at National Library Wales in 1939 at the wish of Mary Lobb herself.
Supported by the Arts Council England and the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).
Suitable for
- Any age
Admission
Admission to the exhibition is included in cost of admission to Kelmscott Manor.
Website
https://www.sal.org.uk/kelmscott-manor/things-to-do/whats-on/temporary-exhibitions/
Getting there
Located less the 3 miles from Lechlade on the B4449 (we are signposted from the A417 and A4095) Follow the brown tourism signs to the car park and enjoy the 8 minute walk through the village to the Manor. Public transport is not available. The Thames Path is minutes from the Manor. A private boat mooring and cycle racks are available.
Kelmscott Manor
Kelmscott
nr Lechlade
Oxfordshire
GL7 3HJ
England
Website
Telephone
Enquiries and bookings
01367 252486
Administration
01367 253348
Fax
01367 253754
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