Name: William Morris, ‘Kelmscott Manor and the Idea of the Beautiful House’ – Speaker: Dr John Maddison
Start: 2026-01-30T18:30:00+00:00
Location: College Farm Lane, Thetford, IP24 1, United Kingdom

$William Morris, \u2018Kelmscott Manor and the Idea of the Beautiful House\u2019 \u2013 Speaker: Dr John Maddison$

The lecture explores Morris’s developing sensitivity to historic domestic architecture through his own homes, from the romantic Gothic medievalism of Red House to a profound understanding of the beauty and simplicity of traditional vernacular architecture at Kelmscott Manor in Oxfordshire.
Once his former friend Rossetti had given up both his relationship with Jane and the co-tenancy of Kelmscott, the house became a sanctuary – almost a spouse – for Morris, whose intermittent presence there inspired the next generation of Arts and Crafts practitioners to move to the Cotswolds.
The house and village are the culmination of the dream narrative in his utopian novel News from Nowhere. The surrounding countryside inspired some of his best-loved textile and wallpaper patterns.
This is a Norfolk Churches Trust Member only event, however you can join the Trust via our website: - https://norfolkchurchestrust.org.uk/membership/