If you are a lover of all things 'William Morris', the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, and the Arts and Crafts Movement then Wightwick Manor is a house that you would enjoy visiting.
The house was built during the end of the 19th century by Theodore Mander - the Mander family were very successful industrialists specialising in the manufacture of paint. Theodore and his wife Flora, taking inspiration from a lecture on 'the house beautiful' by Oscar Wilde, decorated the interior with the designs of William Morris and his Arts and Crafts contemporaries.
Sadly there are no photos allowed in the house, so I will use one or two examples from the internet. The walls are covered in original WM wall paper, the wooden floors show off rare carpets by him, most of the curtains are also original Morris fabrics. The walls are lined with paintings by Rossetti, Ford Madox-Brown, Evelyn de Morgan, Ruskin, Millais, Burne-Jones and Charles Kempe. Kempe also did the stained glass windows along with the fine plaster work ceilings and friezes in the house, and the metal work was done by Benson. There are amazing examples of William de Morgan's lustre pottery - big charges, jugs and wonderful tiles for the fire places.
Jane Burden - Mrs. Willam Morris by Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Ford Madox Brown
A group of schoolboys visited the house last week, and when one of them saw this painting he said "cor, she's ugly!!!". It would appear that the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood's idea of beauty does not appeal to the youth of today.
A selection of wallpaper, fabric, carpet and tapestry designs by William Morris - many of which are featured in Wightwick.
Lustre ware vases by William de Morgan
I did capture one quick photo of the house which give an impression of how the interior looks.
The house also owns its own original Kelmscott Chaucer, the picture above is not the Chaucer, but is of a similar appearance - this is News from Nowhere.
Other places you might be interested in visiting are Standen, East Grinstead (NT) The Red House, Bexleyheath (NT) the only house William Morris commissioned, created and lived in. Kelmscott, Gloucestershire, (Society of Antiquaries) William Morris's country residence, and The William Morris Gallery, Walthamstow which is housed in the Georgian home that William Morris grew up in.
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