Red House

-



After visiting many National Trust properties, I must admit they all blend into one, so I wanted to see something unique. Red house (not "The" Red House as we were swiftly told) in Bexleyheath London was definitely a good choice. The Gothic architecture and medieval decoration reflect its history as a hub for the Pre-Raphaelite movement. The house is a little empty, as many items had been removed or replaced over the years, but that isn't really the point of the property. Instead, my eyes were drawn to details on the stain glass windows and the decorative wall patterns. For the many people that I know who love the Arts and Crafts movement, this place will certainly be a treat.

  Round window overlooking the rose garden.
 
The house was home to the multi-talented William Morris, but you don’t need to be a fan of his work to have fun because plenty of information was provided through tours and helpful volunteers. In fact, out of all the places I have visited, I was impressed with the amount of information available. Volunteers appeared genuinely interested and eager to answer questions.

Beautiful Pre-Raphaelite tapestry.

Partially reconstructed wall painting.  

There was a lot of emphasis on showcasing conservation in many rooms with little restoration. As a conservation student, I think it is good that not everything is restored to its previous glory, but I did expect a certain level of impressiveness and I am not sure if the interior provides that. In comparison to other historic houses, its size and style may not give you the feeling of being in Hogwarts, but you will certainly get a few magical photos out of it.


The Studio of William Morris


I really enjoyed the pretty garden outside. There are fruit trees and a vegetable garden, the produce of which are used in the café, which offers a selection of deserts rather than a sit-down meal. I unfortunately didn't have time to eat there, but if any of you do, please let me know what you think. I probably wasn't allowed to go around picking fruit, but if no one is looking, who's going to stop me!






Comments

  1. JuliaNovember 10, 2019 at 1:25 AM

    Loved the house, not much choice in the cafe, but they do a decent salad sandwich! Xxx

    ReplyDelete
  2. Natalie IoannouNovember 12, 2019 at 12:16 PM

    Glad you had a nice time!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Osterley Park

-
Image
Situated in beautiful Isleworth, Osterley Park is a wonderful example of neo-classical design. As stunning as it is, some rooms did appear a little bare, likely because many of the paintings and objects inside are provided by other collections, such as the V&A. Therefore, the joy of the house mostly lies with the architecture and history of the building, which does make for a good photograph, especially for all the Greeks reading this who love a bit of classical archtecture! As I hoped, volunteers were situated in almost every room, all brimming with historical information and interesting stories that really helped fill the bones of the house, which has convinced me once again that there is no substitute for human interaction in a historical house museum. I had a hilarious conversation with one volunteer called Mary, which involved critiquing the painting below. Osterley Park in this image is clearly depicted as being bigger and more imposing than it actually...
Read more

Kenwood House

-
Image
When visiting a historic house, you may expect to wonder round a fancy building and take a stroll through the gardens, but Kenwood House definitely delivered more than this! Paintings by world famous artists including Reynolds and Vermeer line the walls as if it were the National Gallery. However, the jewel in its crown is most certainly the self-portrait of Rembrandt. The knowledgeable volunteers described the context and drive behind this piece and others, which created a very memorable experience.  Rembrandt, Self-Portrait with Two Circles 1665-1669. Vermeer, The Guitar Player 1670-1672. Out of the many historic houses I have visited, Kenwood had the most unexpected and interesting historical past. The 1st Earl of Mansfield, its most noted previous occupant, played an important role in the abolition of slavery, the story of which was depicted in the 2014 film Belle. The diverse group of volunteers were extremely passionate about t...
Read more

Hampton Court Palace

-
Image
Visiting Hampton Court in Surrey was like walking through time. It has been continuously reconstructed throughout different periods in history, so if ‘Tudor’ is not your thing, don’t be put off by the exterior. As one of the most famous properties in the UK, I’m sure many of you have heard of it before, but it is certainly not overhyped! It delivers everything you could want in a historic house museum and more. They even have a tour with a lady dressed as Queen Elizabeth I, but it was not advertised well so make sure you ask! They do have parking, but I can imagine on a nice day, it would be full up, so get there early. After immediately entering the ticket office, I noticed an interesting conservation display (see photo below).  A display encouraging visitors to touch one half of a textile piece, in order to demonstrate the damage caused by touching historical textiles. In my opinion having an interactive display makes it much easier for visitors to underst...
Read more