In April a small group of us visited the Red House, the Iconic Arts and Crafts home of William Morris.
We had an enjoyable guided tour, which offered us both context and a wealth of interesting information. After the tour, we ate lunch together in the cafe and enjoyed a look around the gardens before some of us took the chance to look around some parts of the house again (the house is usually only viewable by guided tour but there are some limited times of the day when one can wander at will).
Everyone had an interesting time and enjoyed looking around the house, which is carefully looked after and has ongoing research into the material, the history and the cultural context. Some rooms had been newly opened and there was a small exhibition celebrating 100 years since the death of Philip Webb.
If you didn’t make it we recommend you visit! It has made some of us keen to visit Kelmscott Manor next….
From the website: The only house commissioned, created and lived in by William Morris, founder of the Arts & Crafts movement, Red House is a building of extraordinary architectural and social significance. Designed by Philip Webb and completed in 1860, it was described by Edward Burne-Jones as ‘the beautifullest place on earth’. Acquired by the National Trust only 10 years ago, the rooms at Red House give a unique view of William Morris’ earliest designs and decorative schemes. Its secrets are slowly being revealed, conservation work in 2013 uncovered an unknown Pre-Raphaelite wall painting and a very early Morris repeating floral pattern. These original features and furniture by Morris and Philip Webb, stained glass and paintings by Burne-Jones, the bold architecture and a garden designed to ‘clothe the house’, add up to a fascinating and rewarding place to visit.
