Kelmscott Manor

Kelmscott Manor Kelmscott Manor is a seventeenth-century farmstead, with a Grade 1 listed Manor House and several other listed buildings. D.G.
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Kelmscott Manor was the former country retreat of William Morris, Father of the Arts & Crafts Movement, and is now open to the public so you too can experience "Heaven on Earth". From 1871-96, Kelmscott Manor was William Morris's summer home. Rossetti, the Pre-Raphaelite artist, was a co-tenant from 1871-74. The William Morris, the Morris family, D.G. Rossetti, and several of Morris's and Rossetti

's friends and co-workers lived and worked at Kelmscott Manor, drawing inspiration from the flora, fauna and architecture of the farmstead and surrounding area. After William Morris's death, Morris's widow, Jane, and his daughter, May, bought Kelmscott Manor and brought objects from his previous homes to the Manor. Today, the Manor largely reflects May Morris's desire to commemorate her father's achievements. The Manor, an Accredited Museum, is widely recognised as one of the most significant and distinctive national deposits of late Victorian decorative art. Kelmscott Manor was included in the Daily Telegraph's 2013 list of top-ten places to see British Art: "...the best place to get a feel for [Morris's] taste in architecture, design, furniture, fabrics and gardens. Of the surviving Morris houses, the Manor is the most complete and relatively undisturbed." (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/artsandculture/10011984/Englands-great-art.html)

The Society of Antiquaries of London inherited the property in 1962, invested in repairing and conserving the Manor, and opened it to visitors. Today, the Manor is owned by the Society and welcomes approximately 20,000 visitors a year between April and October, and loans objects from the Kelmscott Manor collection to other museums around the world between November and March.

Interested in volunteering with us? Want to find out more about volunteering? Come and chat to us at Swindon Volunteerin...
28/05/2026

Interested in volunteering with us? Want to find out more about volunteering?

Come and chat to us at Swindon Volunteering Fair on Wednesday 3rd June, 11am to 3pm, to find out more.

You might have seen a familiar face if you tuned into ITV National News yesterday evening… Horatio, the Kelmscott Manor ...
28/05/2026

You might have seen a familiar face if you tuned into ITV National News yesterday evening… Horatio, the Kelmscott Manor cat!

Here he is awaiting his visitors in the sunshine this morning.

It’s Make & Mend May Half Term here at Kelmscott Manor & we have lots of fun activities planned, including Tales of the ...
26/05/2026

It’s Make & Mend May Half Term here at Kelmscott Manor & we have lots of fun activities planned, including Tales of the Tapestries, a FREE family engagement session all about Kelmscott Manor’s extraordinary 17th century tapestries, on Thursday 28th May, 11:30-13:00.

In this session, you’ll learn all about the tapestries and discover how William Morris was inspired to make his own. Then you’ll get hands on with archive materials before designing your own tapestries, just like William Morris.

Suitable for 7–11-year old’s (younger/older siblings are also welcome – all children must be accompanied by an adult)

Book your place now on our website!

Project funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and others.

24/05/2026

We love our Chief Wellness Officer, Horatio.

Visit Kelmscott Manor this May Half Term! We have lots of free activities taking place, all themed around Making and Men...
21/05/2026

Visit Kelmscott Manor this May Half Term!

We have lots of free activities taking place, all themed around Making and Mending as part of our Threads of the Past Tapestry Conservation Project.

Tickets are now on sale for the world premiere of May Morris's drawing room plays: 'Lady Griselda's Dream' and 'White Li...
16/05/2026

Tickets are now on sale for the world premiere of May Morris's drawing room plays: 'Lady Griselda's Dream' and 'White Lies', which will be performed in the White Room at Kelmscott Manor on Tuesday 2nd June.

The plays will be performed by actors from Birmingham City University’s Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, directed by Professor David Roberts. The project ‘May Morris in Performance’ is led by Professor Serena Trowbridge at Birmingham City University.

Performances of both plays will take place at 4pm and 7pm (doors open 15 minutes prior to the start time). Get your tickets via our website now! Only a limited number of tickets are available so hurry!

We’re very excited to announce Kelmscott Manor’s 2026 Exhibition: Good Women: Contemporary tapestries in dialogue with K...
14/05/2026

We’re very excited to announce Kelmscott Manor’s 2026 Exhibition:
Good Women: Contemporary tapestries in dialogue with Kelmscott Manor
New work by Chrissie Freeth

Tapestries loom large at Kelmscott Manor this season as work by leading tapestry weaver Chrissie Freeth goes on display. The exhibition is a bold statement incorporating contemporary as well as historical craft, emphasising Kelmscott Manor’s commitment to the handmade, a cornerstone of William Morris’s creative legacy.

Chrissie has brought together her love of medieval tapestries and her admiration for William Morris to create a series of tapestries especially for Kelmscott Manor. The title of the exhibition, ‘Good Women’, references medieval writer Geoffrey Chaucer, a source of inspiration for Morris to whom he returned many times in both his writings and designs.

The exhibition runs from 11th June-31st October and is open Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Entry is included as part of your admission to the Manor. Get your tickets online now!

Join us this Saturday to celebrate the day that William Morris first visited Kelmscott Manor, 155 years ago on 16th May ...
13/05/2026

Join us this Saturday to celebrate the day that William Morris first visited Kelmscott Manor, 155 years ago on 16th May 1871.

To celebrate, there’ll be lots of free activities taking place on site:
- Try Printing with Nature at our drop-in family friendly workshop, 12-4pm in the Learning Barn. Be inspired by the garden which influenced so many of Morris’s designs.
- Join Dr Dion Dobrynski for an imaginative reading walk around Kelmscott, 1-3pm, exploring Morris’s extraordinary Utopian novel, ‘News from Nowhere’. Find out more & book your free place on our website.

Plus many more activities! Come and experience Morris’s ‘Heaven on Earth’ for yourself!

Our guided tour afternoons are back!Join our knowledgeable volunteer Guides outside of our normal opening hours as they ...
12/05/2026

Our guided tour afternoons are back!

Join our knowledgeable volunteer Guides outside of our normal opening hours as they take you through the history of Kelmscott Manor room-by-room. Learn about how the Morris family lived at Kelmscott and discover collection highlights on this 75-minute Guided Tour of Kelmscott Manor.

Tea, coffee and cake will be available to purchase from our Tearoom, and the gardens will be open to explore. (Please note lunch will not be available)

Tours will run at 13:00 and 15:00.

Join us this Thursday afternoon (2pm-4pm) for Printing Press Thursday! See our historic Albion Press in action and disco...
11/05/2026

Join us this Thursday afternoon (2pm-4pm) for Printing Press Thursday!

See our historic Albion Press in action and discover more about Morris’s incredible printing endeavours. Step into Morris’s shoes as you learn the art of printing in this participatory demonstration.

Printing Press Thursdays are free and open to all visitors to drop-in, watch and have a go.

We’ve been keeping a secret… on 2nd June 2026 we’ll be hosting the world premiere of May Morris’s two drawing room plays...
08/05/2026

We’ve been keeping a secret… on 2nd June 2026 we’ll be hosting the world premiere of May Morris’s two drawing room plays: ‘Lady Griselda’s Dream’ and ‘White Lies’, in the White Room at Kelmscott Manor.

The plays will be performed by actors from Birmingham City University’s Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, directed by Professor David Roberts. The project ‘May Morris in Performance’ is led by Professor Serena Trowbridge at Birmingham City University.

Watch this space for more information, including how to book tickets, which will be released soon!

Address

Lechlade
GL73HJ

Opening Hours

Thursday 10:30am - 5am
Friday 10:30am - 5am
Saturday 10:30am - 5am

Telephone

+441367252486

Website

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