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.
Our venue for the evening will be College Farm, Thompson, IP24 1QG
Our speaker, John Maddison, former Architectural Adviser to the Victorian Society and National Trust curator for East Anglia, has been painting and writing for the last thirty years. His decoration, furnishings and mosaic designs can be seen in three cathedrals. He is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and one of the authors of the conservation plan for Kelmscott Manor which was restored by the Society between 2018 and 2022. He is a trustee of the Norfolk Churches Trust.
Please note no tickets will be issued, your name(s) will be on a guest list at the door.
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