Kelmscott
Kelmscott Manor and village
The small village of Kelmscott although dating back to roman times is known internationally as the home of the 19th century poet artist and designer William Morris and the arts and crafts movement the house lies adjacent to the Thames.
Kelmscott manor is a Tudor farmhouse dating from 1570 and is grade 1 listed, it was Morris’s summerhouse later he shared it with other members of the movement such as Rossetti and Burne-Jones, he lived here from 1871 until his death in 1896.
The house is full of paintings, amazing artefacts, collections and Morris personal possessions. The walls are full of his prints and drawings as well as by artists such as Albrecht Durer who he admired. Many of the rooms are as Morris left them his coat still hangs on the back of a door.
Later the house was bought by Morris’s daughter and eventually left to Oxford University who passed it on to the Antiquary’s society in whose careful hands it now remains.
Morris loved Kelmscott and there is a carving on one of the terraced cottages of him with hat and knapsack in the shade of a tree. It is a lovely little village full of charm and it is easy to see why Morris thought of the place as his heaven on earth. As you walk through the village or wander by the river the quiet is only disturbed by the rooks calling in the trees.
Morris and his wife Jane and children Jenny and May are all buried in the grounds of St. George's Church his Viking tomb was designed by Philip Webb.
In the village, there are cottages designed by Webb and Gimson, and the Morris Memorial Hall which was also designed by Gimson.
Activities in Kelmscott
Manor House
Kelmscott Manor - Manor House
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