a day trip to Kelmscott Manor

Photo Tours

27 Oct

*Kelmscott Manor from the front garden gate*

We had a Friday off a few weeks back and decided to finally make a trip to visit Kelmscott Manor in the Cotswolds. It was the home of William Morris – English textile designer, poet, artist, writer, and socialist activist. Mark and I visited it in 2003 during a university Art Tour (before we even started dating!) and I have always wanted to go back, especially now that I have more of an appreciation for Morris and his work.

My overall impression was that it felt more like a museum than his house. I love how National Trust type properties make it feel like the family just stepped out and you are seeing their home as they would have lived in it at one time. Morris’ home does not feel like this (it is not a National Trust property to be clear). It feels like it was cleaned out at one point and is being pieced back together as best possible to show pieces and not really how they lived with it. I much preferred Wightwick Manor a few posts back. That family were good friends with Morris and their home was covered in Morris furniture and fabrics and it felt like they lived there currently. So full of life and clutter and things in places where they used it not, where people guessed it went.

So, it was nice to see some of the Morris pieces and the layout of the house, but I took more pleasure in the grounds and the book press exhibit (which was the impetus for us going during that particular weekend.) We also enjoyed the gift shop a bit too much.

But here are lots of pictures of the items, views, and scenery that caught our attention.

*A table Morris had designed so his daughters could play in it like a fort.*

*Loved the details painted on this movable piano*

*Upholstered bench. I love the pink on red, monochromatic feel.*

*Beautifully displayed plates in a side room.*

*I don’t know if this is the original flooring, I’m assuming so; but I love the layout of the floor and I adore a good rug on wood planks moment.*

*Up close of the tile in the fireplace. Gorgeous!*

*Labeled as “The Green Room,” I had my hopes up; but this was the most green moment in the design. Not bad, but not quite warranting the title.*

*The fireplace tiles in “The Green Room.” If I remember correctly from the guide in this room, these are the only original Morris tiles in the house still.*

*Another corner in “The Green Room.” The chair fabric has a similar design to my favorite pattern: The Strawberry Thief, but is actually Bird.*

*I adore this Daisy wallpaper on the second floor in the hallway. The whole hallway was filled with the wallpaper and it was beautiful and quite green.*

*I can’t identify this print, but I loved this rug.*

*A wallpaper, curtain, and framed painting moment in Morris’ wife Jane’s room on the second floor.*

Some crazy detailed woodcuts by Albrecht Dürer on the mantel in Willam Morris’ room. I love Dürer’s work, but have never seen these before. So fascinating! They are all from the book of Revelation.

*William Morris apparently adored his bed so much, he wrote a poem about it. Here the poem has been embroidered around the canopy of the bed.*

*Fascinating stairs to the top, attic floor. Apparently they are called* *Witches’ Stairs*, but it is a misnomer as they are merely designed with alternate tread to save space in a tight or steep climb. They look intimidating, but once you start (with the right foot), it is quite fine as long as you don’t think too hard!

*Gorgeous attic space. I would love to have seen this full as they would have used it. Fantastic place to play as a kid!*

*Genevieve writing a letter at a desk in the second part of the attic.*

*Woodcut of William Morris by Robert Bryden, 1899*

*I LOVED seeing these small black & white photographs framed on one of the walls. This is the way I would have loved to see the house.*

*Kelmscott Manor by Edward Scott-Snell, 1946, pen and ink*

‘A literary man’: William Morris and the Book exhibition inside the house.

*My absolute favorite woodcut in William Morris’ book* News From Nowhere. It is Kelmscott Manor, designed by Charles March Gere and engraved by W. H. Hooper.

*Those versals – ornate letters at the beginning of a paragraph.*

*Gorgeous books and stunning binding, Morris was dedicated to beauty and craftsmanship in the Arts & Craft movement.*

*These always blow my mind. Not only was this drawn (in reverse), but it was then carved into wood and printed. I have a long way to go with my linocut work!*

Now to the grounds!

*The back garden, beautifully maintained. I love how it is clearly planned and cultivated, but feels a bit wild.*

*Love a huge Yew Hedge where the girls can play inside!*

*Joanna is currently quite obsessed with trees and this one stole her heart. Girls for scale!*

*The front garden path from the front door.*

*Stopped into the cafe for a coffee and the best gluten free cappuccino cake I’ve ever had.*

*Back to the gardens. Side view of the Manor house.*

*Genevieve made a friend in the garden.*

*This hedge does not look very impressive now, but they are attempting to restore it to its former glory and it used to look like this…*

*Look at how crazy that hedge used to be!*

Odd angle of the house, but note the metal hatches on the sides of the roof pitches… there was a sign inside the attic saying that their younger daughter May often climbed out of these hatches to climb around the roof. The girls and I were fascinated and had to see the hatches from outside!

*Before we left, we stopped in one of the converted barns and checked out the crafts. This one to decorate your own Kelmscott Manor was so fun! Check out May on the roof!*

*We also got a few things in the gift shop, including one of these lovely Kelmscott mugs.*

We walked back to the car park and loved seeing some of the other houses in the area, all with that signature Cotswold stone. Here are a couple favorites: