William Morris’s Home At Kelmscott Manor Granted Planning Permission

Planning Permission Granted For Renovation Of William Morris’s Celebrated Home At Kelmscott Manor In Oxfordshire
Planning permission has been granted for the conservation of Kelmscott Manor which was the country home of the internationally acclaimed craftsman, designer, writer, environmentalist and socialist William Morris from 1871 until his death in 1896. The plans comprise a programme of essential repairs and conservation work on the listed Manor House and the construction of a new education centre and visitor facilities.

The development project will secure the future of Kelmscott Manor and its internationally important collection for future generations.  This long-term strategy for the care and presentation of the Manor will give visitors an even richer experience of William Morris’s country home.

William Morris is renowned today as the designer of patterns such as ‘Willow Bough’ and ‘Strawberry Thief’. The architecture, history,  landscape, flora and fauna of Kelmscott inspired many of his most important designs and writings and influenced his ideas on conservation for both the built and natural environments.

‘We are delighted that West Oxfordshire District Council has supported our plans to carry out urgent repairs to the house, to renovate the gardens and to extend the range of exhibition spaces and visitor facilities. The project will enable us enhance visitors’ understanding of the house in its setting and attract new audiences, particularly young people and heritage professionals’. – Paul Drury, President

The house contains an outstanding collection of works by Morris as well as his family and associates including Burne-Jones, Rossetti, Ford Madox Brown and Philip Webb that includes furniture, original textiles, pictures and paintings, carpets, ceramics and metalwork.

The Manor is owned by the Society of Antiquaries of London, of which William Morris was a Fellow.