The east front of the manor. The older part (left) is of about 1600, to the right 1660s
THE architecture of Kelmscott Manor is woven into William Morris's 1890 novel, News from Nowhere, in which a journey exploring utopian ideals in a post-industrial world leads, after much wandering, to a 'many-gabled old house built by the simple country-folk of the long-past times. There is no 'extravagant love of ornament' here, only a feeling that the house itself and its associations was the ornament of the country life amidst which it had been left stranded from old times' (Fig 1). It is a poignant vision that underlines both a respect for the past and an ideal of a new society based on mutual interest and support.
Today, this old stone-built farmhouse is best known as the Morrises' country home, from 1871. First leased as a retreat from busy London life, it became a vital point of reference for Morris, as artist, designer and poet; it was his 'Heaven on Earth', and a source of profound emotional and artistic inspiration.
'It became a vital point of reference for Morris, as artist, designer and poet'
Kelmscott Manor re-opened last month, after two years of repair, conservation and refurbishment with Architecton, architects based in Bristol, and specialist builders Ken Biggs Contractors of Bristol. The project was supported by $4.7 million in grants from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, as well as many others. The property has been owned by the Society of Antiquaries of London since the mid-1960s and new research has helped to recapture the atmosphere of significant rooms, allowing Morris's love of the place to be better appreciated. May Morris, his younger daughter, has also come more into focus; for, alongside her work as artist, embroiderer and educator she was, in effect, an early curator of Kelmscott's interiors.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Tales as old as time
By appointing writers-in-residence to landscape locations, the National Trust is hoping to spark in us a new engagement with our ancient surroundings, finds Richard Smyth
Do the active farmer test
Farming is a profession, not a lifestyle choice’ and, therefore, the Budget is unfair
Night Thoughts by Howard Hodgkin
Charlotte Mullins comments on Moght Thoughts
SOS: save our wild salmon
Jane Wheatley examines the dire situation facing the king of fish
Into the deep
Beneath the crystal-clear, alien world of water lie the great piscean survivors of the Ice Age. The Lake District is a fish-spotter's paradise, reports John Lewis-Stempel
It's alive!
Living, burping and bubbling fermented masses of flour, yeast and water that spawn countless loaves—Emma Hughes charts the rise and rise) of sourdough starters
There's orange gold in them thar fields
A kitchen staple that is easily taken for granted, the carrot is actually an incredibly tricky customer to cultivate that could reduce a grown man to tears, says Sarah Todd
True blues
I HAVE been planting English bluebells. They grow in their millions in the beechwoods that surround us—but not in our own garden. They are, however, a protected species. The law is clear and uncompromising: ‘It is illegal to dig up bluebells or their bulbs from the wild, or to trade or sell wild bluebell bulbs and seeds.’ I have, therefore, had to buy them from a respectable bulb-merchant.
Oh so hip
Stay the hand that itches to deadhead spent roses and you can enjoy their glittering fruits instead, writes John Hoyland
A best kept secret
Oft-forgotten Rutland, England's smallest county, is a 'Notswold' haven deserving of more attention, finds Nicola Venning
