Society Visit to Kelmscott Manor and AGM

Saturday 23 September 2017
Kelmscott Manor, Kelmscott, Lechlade, West Oxfordshire, GL7 3HJ

The T. E. Lawrence Society invites members to join us as we explore Kelmscott Manor, the country home of William Morris, the writer, designer, socialist and founder of the Arts and Crafts movement, so admired by Lawrence. Then in the afternoon, join us at our AGM at the nearby Morris Memorial Hall. All members, new and long-standing, are welcome.

The Grade-I Listed Kelmscott Manor, dating from 1590, was rented by William Morris and Dante Gabriel Rossetti in 1871 as a country retreat. Morris named his Kelmscott Press after his beloved home. It is now owned by the Society of Antiquaries of London.

Our visit offers an opportunity to view a wonderful selection of Morris’s furniture and personal possessions including a significant art collection, with works by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Sir Edward Burne-Jones, Albrecht Durer and Breughel. Also to be seen is a
facsimile of the Kelmscott Press’s The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer
“a marvellous possession, and very good to read,” Lawrence was to write when he owned his own edition of the 1896 original.

The beautiful gardens and nearby Thames path make pleasant places for a stroll.

Kelmscott Manor is three miles from Lechlade, on the B4449, signposted from both the A417 and A4095. You can park in the village car park, about 10 minutes’ walk from the Manor, with a drop-off
option if required.

The ticket office opens at 10.30am for the sale of timed tickets for the Manor. The gardens, shop and café open at 10.30am and the Manor at 11am.

At 11am there is an optional rendezvous for coffee in the café, then members can explore the Manor in their own time (there is no guided tour). Entry to the Manor and gardens costs £9.50 or entry to the gardens and café only is £3.50. Lunch is available in the café, with indoor and outdoor seating (though service may be slow), or bring a picnic.

At 2pm our AGM begins in the Morris Memorial Hall, just a few minutes’ walk from Kelmscott Manor.

Chairman Philip Neale will invite Dr. Kathy Haslam, Heritage Manager of Kelmscott Manor, to give an illustrated talk on “Morris and the Book”, linking Lawrence’s interest in the Kelmscott Press with the Manor’s collections.

Kathy Haslam has worked at Kelmscott Manor since 2012 and is responsible for the collection and displays. She has previously worked in curatorial roles at the V&A, Geffrye Museum and, most recently, as Curator at Blackwell, the Arts and Crafts House in Cumbria. She is a Trustee of the William Morris Society.

For practical details, including transport, check the Manor website, www.sal.org.uk/kelmscott-manor

All Society members and guests are welcome to join us for this special day out. We look forward to sharing the day with you and to planning the future of our Society.

AGM papers will be sent to members with our summer Newsletter. For more information about Kelmscott Manor, see the Society of Antiquaries of London website HERE.

The international Society for everyone with an interest in the life of T. E. Lawrence