The Red House - visit 18.11.10

Last week we visited the Red House, in Bexleyheath - home of William Morris centre of the Arts and Crafts movement, as part of our continuing learning into Historic Conservation. It was a really interesting finale to the visits we'd made so far on this particular course.

From the large scale thinking we are having to consider for our conservation plan for Greenwich Park - it was good to look at the Red House in terms of conservation - on a smaller - more domestic scale.

I liked the house, with the curator in residence, and the lovely lady that showed us around - who opened up cupboards and little doors to reveal faded wall paintings by Morris or Elizabeth Siddal - which gave us tantalising glimpses of a colourful history.

It's a pity they don't know what the garden was like when Morris was living there - but it would've been a productive one - the vegetable garden certainly dominated, so probably not much has changed there.

I'd like to go back in the summer.

Here are a few photos I took inside the house and a sketch from the garden.

Sketch of the house being consumed by the garden

I love all these little Arts and Crafts details. This was a hole in the wooden staircase panels - peeping through to see who was at the door!

The House from the orchard

Round window detail - with panels painted by Morris

Rather splendid reflection onto the  very expensive Philip Webb dining room table

secret panels

..and more round things that caught my eye