Red House: Exterior

"The garden is also significant, being an early example of the idea of a garden as a series of exterior "rooms". Morris wanted the garden to be an integral part of the house, providing a seamless experience. The "rooms" consisted of a herb garden, a vegetable garden, and two rooms full of old-fashioned flowers — jasmine, lavender, quinces, and an abundance of fruit trees — apple, pear and cherry."

"Morris lived with Jane in the house for only five years, during which time their two daughters, Jenny and May, were born. Forced to give up the house for financial reasons in 1865, Morris vowed upon leaving never to return. He said that to see the house again would be more than he could bear."

I think it's so sad that Morris created his idyllic home and garden in what was then the Kent countryside yet was not happy there and moved after only five years. It's disheartening to think of him never returning there, yet he must have thought about it often. Red House is situated in my home town, now part of outer London. I first visited Red House in the early 90's when Ted and Doris Hollamby still lived there and they opened the house for a few days in the year and gave guided tours themselves. It seems that the families who lived there after Morris were very happy, a nice conclusion to an otherwise unhappy tale.

Bexley became a London Borough in 1963. In 1859 Bexleyheath would have been very different from the Suburban town it is now. The Bexleyheath train line was not opened until 1895, so Morris would have had a long commute back into London. I wonder if the train line had been there 30 years earlier if he would have stayed there longer.

This year at Red House it was great to see the vegetable garden with enviable beetroot and green beans, also a scarecrow and a wishing tree. Red House holds an apple day in October.

Red House

'It is a most noble work in every way, and more a poem than a house…but an admirable place to live in too.' Dante Gabriel Rossetti


Red House, The only house commissioned, created and lived in by William Morris, founder of the Arts & Crafts movement, Red House is a building of extraordinary architectural and social significance. When it was completed in 1860, it was described by Edward Burne-Jones as 'the beautifullest place on earth'.

Smallhythe Place

Smallhythe Place, Tenterden, Kent.

"The half-timbered house, built in the early 16th century when Smallhythe was a thriving shipbuilding yard, was the home of the Victorian actress Ellen Terry from 1899 to 1928, and contains her fascinating theatre collection. The cottage grounds include her rose garden, orchard, nuttery and the working Barn Theatre".

A beautiful house and garden. Inside you can view Ellen Terry's costumes, jewellery, personal objects, paintings and theatre designs. There are also some William Nicholson prints. For me it was great to see the jewellery objects, many worn on the stage with a larger than life presence. Also some Indian jewellery objects with metal and textiles. The location is beautiful and you can see why Terry decided she would live there as soon as she spied it.

Bateman's

Bateman's Bateman's Lane, Burwash, East Sussex TN19 7DS

"Rudyard Kipling bought Bateman's in 1902. He and his American wife, Carrie, had discovered the house two years earlier but had been too slow in deciding to buy it and it was let before they could close the deal. When the house came on the market again in 1902, they had no hesitation and bought it along with the surrounding buildings, the mill and 33 acres for £9,300. It had no bathroom, no running water upstairs and no electricity but Kipling loved it. 'Behold us, lawful owners of a grey stone lichened house - A.D. 1634 over the door - beamed, panelled, with old oak staircase, and all untouched and unfaked. It is a good and peaceable place,' he wrote in November 1902. 'We have loved it ever since our first sight of it.'

Bateman's was built around 1634. A large block of ironstone is incorporated into the porch and a longstanding tradition claims the house was built by a Wealden ironmaster. The first known occupant was a John Briteen (or Brittan) at the end of the 17th century. He was, in fact, an iron dealer but he may well be the ironmaster referred to."

Scotney Castle

Easter Sunday...visit to a castle.

"The Scotney Castle Garden in Kent was originally created in the 1830's by Edward Hussey III who had the imagination to incorporate the ruined medieval castle as the centrepiece of his Picturesque style landscape design."

Its now owned by the National Trust..read more about it here

Bamboo

I took this image in the gardens at Standen. I love the rustle of sound you get when the wind blows through bamboo.

Standen

Standen, is an Arts and Crafts house in Sussex. Designed by Philip Webb, who also built The Red House in Bexley, for William Morris.

I hope to return in the summer when there is more to see in the garden. The house has an excellent display of textiles, ceramics and metalwork from the arts and crafts period, lots from William Morris, some ceramics by William De Morgan and metalwork by W. A. S. Benson.

Standen was a family home for the Beale family. Built in the 1890's.