Kelmscott Manor
Kelmscott Manor
4.5
About
This Tudor farmhouse, located adjacent to the River Thames, was built of local limestone in 1570. Later, the Manor became the Cotswold retreat of Victorian designer, campaigner, socialist, author, William Morris and his family, friends and colleagues. When Morris first saw the Manor in 1871, he was delighted by this 'loveliest haunt of ancient peace'; he signed a joint lease for the property with his friend and colleague Dante Gabriel Rossetti, the Pre-Raphaelite artist. The Manor is open from April to the end of October on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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- KandNAustralia116 contributionsA fabulous day at Kelmscott ManorThe volunteers and staff were super friendly, helpful and informative. The house had been curated to be accurate to historical photos and that meant one could get a real feel for how the Morris family must have lived. The hangings, embroidery, wallpaper and furniture were captivating. Thank you for a terrific visit.Thank you for your five star review. We are delighted you enjoyed your visit.Written October 17, 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited April 2023Written April 6, 2023
- Marisa R15 contributionsBeautiful Manor HouseLovely house restored to how it was when Morris and his family and their many friends lived there with the furniture, textiles and wallpapers used in the rooms. Staffed by friendly and knowledgeable volunteers who were happy to answer any questions. Definitely worth a visit, especially if you have an interest in the Arts & Crafts movement.Thank you for your review. We are delighted you enjoyed your visit.Written October 17, 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited June 2023Written June 3, 2023
- Patricia BBorough of Brentwood, United Kingdom33 contributionsA Victorian InspirationWe visited on a Wednesday as part of a Tour Group. A quality Lunch was laid on in the Barn as part of our organised visit. The home made biscuits for morning coffee were divine. The house is owned by the Society of Antiquaries and benefitted from a lottery grant to restore the legacy of William Morris. The tour guides are very knowledgeable about WM, his family and the Arts and Crafts movement. The garden where he drew his inspiration is free to explore. Situated in a small village there is car park a short stroll away with a free mini bus for those who require assistance. The family grave is in the Church yard near the Car Park. Kelmscott is well worth a visit if you are interested in Morris and by association the Pre Raphaelites. Everyone on site was keen to share their enthusiasm and there was a gift shop where I happily bought a Tea Towel Gift…100% Linen and Made in the UK.Thank you for your review. We are delighted you enjoyed your coach group visit.Written October 17, 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited August 2023Traveled with friendsWritten August 27, 2023
- Daryl C24 contributionsA very enjoyable visit.I`m a huge Morris/Arts & Crafts/ Pre Raphs fan, so having been to his birthplace in Walthamstow, Kelmscott House in Hammersmith, and The Red House in Bexleyheath, this was a must. I can see why Morris chose Kelmscott Manor, it`s in a lovely setting, a short walk from the car park, which somehow adds to the experience. I had pre booked on-line and the pdf was scanned on arrival at my allotted time. I was not disappointed by the house and garden and the exhibits, and the guides were friendly and keen to share their knowledge. I would n`t have known where the Morris grave is for example ( in the churchyard by the carpark). I really enjoyed my visit.Thank you for your review. We are delighted you enjoyed your visit.Written October 17, 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited September 2023Traveled with familyWritten September 19, 2023
- GastrogranSomerset, United Kingdom16 contributionsA tribute to all concerned.The first time we had visited since the refurbishment. What a wonderful experience. The walk from the car park is a must (it does take about 10 minutes but is all on the flat) as it sets the scene for this remote manor farm in its unspoilt landscape. The absence of cars parked all around is a great joy. The garden is charming, slightly unkempt but productive (medlars and quinces when we visited). The sense of the Morris family is everywhere, their taste and talents, their socialist views, their humour and love of animals (see the lovely story boards in the old stable ). Much more is made of the Morris women now - which has been long overdue. Excellent shop and tea room. A buggy back to the car park - all a wondefully inspiring few hours. Thank you.Thank you for your five star review. We are delighted that you enjoyed your visit and what we have achieved with the refurbishment. Over the next few years we will be highlighting more of May & Jane Morris so we hope you will return again in the future.Written October 17, 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited September 2023Traveled with friendsWritten October 1, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
404 reviews
Excellent
252
Very good
109
Average
30
Poor
7
Terrible
6
truthtime1
uk69 contributions
Sep 2022 • Couples
While we are all aware that William Morris's ethos was that one should "have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful." I still found Kelmscott shockingly stark, vacuous, cold and unhomely with only the barest of furnishing. Some Morris wallpaper but other rooms had bare walls! Hardly any artwork and, unbelievably lacking any information about the Pre-Raphaelites with whom William Morris had a very long and close association. No explanation as to why Rossetti lived there in the sumer with the Morris family (or his very close relationship with Moris's wife, Jane) using 2 of the few rooms in the house as his art studios apparently - not that you'd ever guess when in them! An example of yet another NT-like body dumbing down historic and artistic information. A welcoming introductory video about Morris, Kelmscott, his work and life is desperately needed but sadly lacking. Seemingly concerned instead solely with the preservation and conservation of the building per se which is fine if you're visiting just for the architecture. The bed Morris was born in was there, even though he was actually born in Walthamstow! Staff pleasant but had limited knowledge about the room they were in, not that there was much in it to ask about. Gift shop totally uninspiring and understocked with Morris patterned gifts we've all seen before that can all be purchased cheaper online. Tea room and food very nice and lovely large garden to relax in on a sunny day. Free parking. Enjoyed the village and the regular Thursday craft fair in the village hall. (Perhaps that's why Thursday is the busiest day to visit) Lovely long walk along the Thames path nearby.
Written September 23, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review.
We are sad to hear that your visit was disappointing. We have tried to recreate the rooms as they were when May Morris lived in the Manor using archive photos and documents. Many of the rooms at that time were bare and we have recreated the dark green colour that William used in some of the ground floor rooms to get them back to how William would have remembered them as much as possible.
The bed that William Morris was born in is here at the Manor as his mother gave it as a gift to him when they rented the property. William's wife Jane remarked that coming to Kelmscott was 'like going on a picnic' as the rooms were sparsely furnished, A photo of the room shows this bed when William rented the manor in the 1890's.
We are not a National Trust property and will be adding more information for visitors over the next few years including a research and archive room on the 1st floor.
Written October 8, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Chrisgale
Sheffield, UK815 contributions
Oct 2022 • Solo
I hadn't been before so I don't know how the house was before the refurbishment. I thought it was stunning, the fabric and wallpaper made in the original way have been done with such care and attention to detail. There were staff in each room who were very friendly and knowledgeable. Nice grounds, small shop and cafe. Plenty of seating. Good car park and a shuttle bus up to the house if needed. I am a Historic Houses member so I went early as I couldn't prebook a ticket. The lady on the desk was really helpful and fitted me into the first time slot, it certainly wasn't crowded. I had a really good day out and the staff should be proud of all that has been achieved.
Written October 24, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Many thanks for your five-star review. We are delighted you enjoyed your visit.
Written November 11, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Em
4 contributions
Aug 2022 • Family
This is a beautiful house filled with original Morris embroidery and furniture, as well as some paintings by Rossetti. Parking is a pleasant ten minute walk from the house, but there’s a shuttle bus constantly running to take any visitors who are not up for the walk. Staff are friendly and well informed, but I felt that there needed to be a bit more information available to visitors; I left some of the rooms having seen some lovely things but not knowing the history or significance of them. A guided tour would have been ideal. That said, it is a lovely place, with a pleasant garden and a cafe to visit after you’ve looked round. If you take a picnic, you can sit next to the Thames as it runs by the house and enjoy it there!
Written August 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review. We are pleased that you enjoyed your visit.
Our volunteer stewards are very knowledgeable about the collection and are happy to answer any questions you have about the collection. We will be looking at ways for visitors to discover more about the collection in the visit next year and will be expanding our online collection information system very soon.
Written September 8, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Patricia B
Borough of Brentwood, UK33 contributions
Aug 2023 • Friends
We visited on a Wednesday as part of a Tour Group. A quality Lunch was laid on in the Barn as part of our organised visit. The home made biscuits for morning coffee were divine. The house is owned by the Society of Antiquaries and benefitted from a lottery grant to restore the legacy of William Morris. The tour guides are very knowledgeable about WM, his family and the Arts and Crafts movement. The garden where he drew his inspiration is free to explore. Situated in a small village there is car park a short stroll away with a free mini bus for those who require assistance. The family grave is in the Church yard near the Car Park. Kelmscott is well worth a visit if you are interested in Morris and by association the Pre Raphaelites. Everyone on site was keen to share their enthusiasm and there was a gift shop where I happily bought a Tea Towel Gift…100% Linen and Made in the UK.
Written August 27, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review. We are delighted you enjoyed your coach group visit.
Written October 17, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Rose4105
Brisbane, Australia189 contributions
Jul 2022
During the past 10 years I have made many appliqué quits using William Morris patterns by Michelle Hill. This visit was a dream come true for me- . Beautiful old house , sensitively restored.
Written July 27, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review. We are delighted you enjoyed your visit.
Written September 8, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Patricia H
Birmingham, UK6 contributions
Jul 2023 • Family
Staff were welcoming and informative, and of course the exterior was as lovely as ever. But having visited several times in the past (all previous visits over ten years ago) I was profoundly disappointed by the changes that have been made to the interior. So much of the warmth I have always associated with Kelmscott Manor has been lost. I was told by the guides that the changes were made in order to comply with requirements for securing Heritage Lottery funding (which required it to be restored to reflect more closely how it would actually have looked when Morris lived there). That is all well and good, but as a result of the removal of so many of Morris & Co.'s wonderful artefacts, the spirit of what Morris was trying to achieve has somehow been lost. It has been rendered spartan, and there is no sense of its having been a 'lived in' house now at all, for me. A classic case of 'in striving to do better, oft we mar what's well,' alas!
Written July 1, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review.
We are sorry that you were disappointed with your visit as you felt that the interiors were not warm.
As part of the reinterpretation of the rooms we have gone back to original sources to layout the spaces as they were when May Morris lived in the manor. This was then a family home and not a showcase of Morris and Co fabrics which you probably saw on your previous visits. We display the unique items from our collection which were handmade by William Morris, Rossetti, Jane & May Morris and others rather than the manufactured fabrics which can be found elsewhere.
Contrary to what you were told, it was not a requirement for securing Heritage Lottery Funding but our decision to try to explain to our visitors what it was about Kelmscott and the surrounding landscape that inspired William, his family and associates.
Written October 17, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
marmot2000
Oxford, UK9 contributions
May 2022 • Friends
Kelmscott is a magical house, full of the work and spirit of William Morris and his circle. Our visit was enhanced by the lovely miniature bookmaking activity run by Jill and Helena in the beautiful Learning Barn. All the staff and volunteers are fantastic.
Written May 30, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your five star review. We are delighted you enjoyed your visit and the bookmaking activity in our new Learning Barn. We will be running more activities throughout the season and have plans for more events next year.
Written June 15, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
KandNAustralia
Australia116 contributions
Apr 2023
The volunteers and staff were super friendly, helpful and informative. The house had been curated to be accurate to historical photos and that meant one could get a real feel for how the Morris family must have lived. The hangings, embroidery, wallpaper and furniture were captivating. Thank you for a terrific visit.
Written April 6, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your five star review. We are delighted you enjoyed your visit.
Written October 17, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Alison L
3 contributions
Sep 2023 • Family
When we arrived, the lady explained it would be an hour before we could enter the house. Seemed a bit odd and like she was explaining we might be bored. She was right. Very underwhelming gardens and small tea facilities with such a large queue we couldn’t be bothered. We sat for 45 minutes just waiting for house entry. Although beautiful outside, the inside is sparse and the blinds were down so it was too dark to see anything anyway. Not at all the experience we were expecting. Very disappointed.
Written September 7, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review. We are disappointed to hear that you didn't enjoy your visit.
The Manor house has small rooms so we have to control the number of visitors in the house at any time. This is why you had to wait before seeing the house itself. The rooms have been laid out to reflect how they were when May Morris lived at the Manor using contemporary drawings, paintings and photographs where ever possible.
We also have to control the light levels in the rooms to protect the collection, especially the unique fabrics. Our volunteer stewards in some rooms have torches to help see parts of the collection if you feel it is too dark.
Written October 17, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Marisa R
15 contributions
Jun 2023
Lovely house restored to how it was when Morris and his family and their many friends lived there with the furniture, textiles and wallpapers used in the rooms. Staffed by friendly and knowledgeable volunteers who were happy to answer any questions. Definitely worth a visit, especially if you have an interest in the Arts & Crafts movement.
Written June 3, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review. We are delighted you enjoyed your visit.
Written October 17, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Mi-MiMurrell
Cheltenham, UK366 contributions
Is this venue dog friendly please?
KelmscottManor
Kelmscott, UK
We encourage visitors to bring their dogs to the Manor and explore the meadow and barns. However we only allow assistance dogs in the Manor house and formal gardens itself. We provide water for dogs but ask that they are kept under control and not left alone.
ricjmor
Welwyn Garden City, UK2 contributions
Please show on a map
kateblackhurst
Canberra, Australia56 contributions
Just type Kelmscott Manor into Google Maps and it will show up.
Cost please
rladue22
London, UK
Hello, below are our prices (which can all be found on our website as well):
Adults: £10.50* (£9.50 without Gift Aid)
Family (2 adults + 2 children): £29* (£26 without Gift Aid)
Full-time students: £5.50* (£5 without Gift Aid)
Children (5-16): £5.50* (£5 without Gift Aid)
Children (0-4): FREE
Accompanying carers: FREE
Garden-only ticket: £3.50
*Prices include Gift Aid.
Hope to see you soon!
Lindmarg
Maleny, Australia27 contributions
Is there a coach tour to Kelmscott please
Thetroothfairy
Oswestry, UK136 contributions
Try
onlinebookings.johnsonscoaches
Co
Uk
Lindmarg
Maleny, Australia27 contributions
Is there a coach tour to Kelmscott Manor
Mosquito155
Swindon, UK74 contributions
First Google search came up with a company called johnstoned. Not sure what they are like though
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Claim your listingKelmscott Manor - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)
Frequently Asked Questions about Kelmscott Manor
- Hotels near Kelmscott Manor:
- (0.17 mi) The Plough at Kelmscott
- (1.46 mi) Buscot Manor
- (2.31 mi) The New Inn
- (6.15 mi) Mollie's Motel & Diner
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- Restaurants near Kelmscott Manor:
- (0.16 mi) The Plough Inn, Kelmscott
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- (2.30 mi) The New Inn
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- Attractions near Kelmscott Manor:
- (1.41 mi) Buscot House
- (1.29 mi) Cotswold Boat Hire Ltd
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- (9.43 mi) Undiscovered Cotswolds
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