kelmscott manor

We went here last year in the summer on a fantastic day, it was quite busy but you can come back to things. The people that work there had a brilliant knowledge of Morris and were clearly had a great interest. We have since been to Walthamstow to see the Morris house there, it mentions Kelmscott so it was good that we knew what it was like there already. Great to see a home so untouched and as it was when it was lived in.

This small manor house, which was the country home of Victorian textile designer William Morris, is definitely a nice place to visit for an hour or two but it is very small. So if it’s very busy, like it was when we visited, it’s not the best experience as you shuffle with the crowd from room to room. The tearoom was very pleasant with a good range of typical tearoom fare on offer. We’d give this heritage attraction 4/5 when there’s room to breathe, but only 3/5 when busy.

We made a special trip from Hampshire to see William Morris' house at Kelmscott. It was really worth it despite being quite busy on the day we went (inevitable as it only opens a couple of times a week). The house is delightful and contains many inspiring pieces by Morris and his entourage, particularly tapestries and furniture. It is relatively expensive but probably in line with most historic houses these days. There is a small garden (with some interesting specimen trees) and a good shop, featuring, as you would expect, many Morris designs. If you are interested in Morris and his work, then this is a must for you.

Felt very welcome although they were not expecting 8 of us to turn up expecting a meal in a very rural area. Children had a great time cutting out pumpkins and meal delicious

Kelmscott Manor is a fantastically interesting and inspiring former home of a very productive artist and designer. I would recommend anyone who is interested in any form of art and design to visit. The house itself is lovely and the insight into the life of such a talented and prolific artist is inspiring. The gardens are also worth seeing and the cafe has top quality food. All in all Kelmscott Manor is worth travelling a distance to see.

Lovely place to visit, worth entrance fee, A little surprised we were asked to pay £10 instead of £9 so they could claim tax back, thought you could claim it back on any amount

My friend and I greatly enjoyed our visit to the house and found the staff friendly,open and enthusiastic and not in the least stuffy! We learnt a lot about Morris and it complemented my recent visit to Standen House in Sussex, another Arts and Crafts gem.Don't miss it!

I'm a volunteer driver. We drive community groups, usually the lesser-able members of society. We give a lot of our time to make it possible for others to get out. We often give recommendations to other groups. You'd think that Kelmscott would be over the moon about me bringing them a minibus full of paying people and might let me wander around rather than sit in the bus for a few hours - absolutely not. They were adamant that bus drivers have to pay to get in. This was all the more ironic as they seemed to rely heavily on volunteers themselves. Now you might think this petty, but if every attraction had this approach I would not be volunteering to drive others as I couldn't afford it! As it happened it was a nice sunny day and there were some nice walks through the village and along the Thames so the day was pleasant. However, if people ask me where's a nice place to go I'm afraid Kelmscott will not be on my list as I really don't want to sit in the bus for a number of hours if it's raining and the trips are booked weeks in advance. Kelmscott could learn a lot from the National Trust but their money-grabbing attitude will lead to less income in the long run. For those who do want to go my ladies enjoyed the trip. They liked the period furniture, but were a little put off by the over zealous helpers stopping them getting close to the exhibits. The service in the local pub was slow so we ended up leaving later than planned.

Visited yesterday with friend (who studied at Glasgow School of Art!) and we were both left overwhelmed and wistful at the beauty of Kelmscott Manor. The volunteer staff were all very friendly and keen to share their expansive knowledge and enthusiasm...as well as amusing and sad stories about the life of William Morris and his family and others. You could tell they all genuinely care about Kelmscott Manor. Don't bother reading the reviews...just go there and you won't be disappointed.

This was my first visit to the house on a lovely sunny day. Had lunch in the cafe first, food was excellant and a good choice for vegetarians which is unusual for small cafés. The service was a bit slow but worth it. Looked around the small garden and then into the house. Very interesting. I had my elderly mother with and she could not go up to the attic room because of the stairs so be aware of that. Lovely visit.

What a special place preserved by a Society which really cares about it! Our third visit in three years. Excellent pre-tour talk, good informative leaflet and then you are left to enjoy the tranquility of the house. On a good day, the garden is a place to relax and enjoy the ambience. A must for Arts and Crafts enthusiasts.

We've been trying to visit for years and finally the Weds and Sat opening suited. The house and gardens are run by enthusiasts who are very willing to give you information, along with the leaflets and interpretation boards.Gardens and outhouses are also worth visiting - the whole estate gives the visitor a glimpse of how William Morris and his family spent their lives there and how the Arts and Crafts movement evolved.

Having seen a lot about William Morris and his designs over the years we thought it would be quite interesting to have a look around this house. This is his country retreat as he lived in London.We thought there would be lots of interesting facts about William Morris, however most of the information and the temporary gallery of pictures seemed to be more about his wife and the doctor they had living with them which we really were not interested in.When we arrived to get a 'timed' ticket to have a look around the house, the first thing one of the volunteers barked at us was 'you know you can't take that bag in with you'. This was a small backpack and within 5 minutes another volnteer also said the same. I was asked to leave my bag by the door and to collect it afterwards. There is a sign by the car park, so take note and do not dare take this in otherwise you will be told off!! Also you are not allowed to take any pens or you own pencils in, but if you want to take any notes (not that you would) they will give you one of their pencils. There is little of any value that could be damaged in the house and I am not sure why the volunteers think their house is any different from any other house we have visited.I would suggest saving yourself the trouble and visit Berkeley Castle (see my other review) instead.

Went here for the first time expecting all things William Morris, with additional Arts and Crafts. What we got was a complete disappointment - it could have been a house of almost any middle class late 19th century person preserved in aspic: there were the occasional dribs and drabs of Morris type stuff but there was no structure to the self-guided tour, the layout of the house was arranged artificially as to make a sensible route impossible with people coming in and out of entrances which were meant to be exits and exits which were meant to be entrances. There were very few items on show and you were herded out to the gift shop as quickly as possible - in short all this is, is a William Morris theme park attraction with a large gift emporium attached. Until this is changed to something vaguely educational and informative will NEVER return. The person who was with me who had been before in the 1980’s asked what on earth they had done with it to make it so bad – indeed, sage words.

If you are a fan of Arts and Crafts you will just LOVE this place. It is stuffed full of great objects, wallpapers and fabrics redolent of the Period. Volunteer Room Stewards are extremely knowledgeable and friendly.Not an easy place to get around. The two-step staircase is actually a lot easier than it looks!