Kelmscott Manor
The Cotswold retreat of William Morris, Victorian textile designer, poet, novelist and father of the Arts and Crafts Movement.
Kelmscott, Lechlade, Gloucestershire, GL7 3HJ
Facilities
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Accessible loos
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Accessible parking
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Bike storage facilities
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Cafe / restaurant
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Facilities for children
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Free parking
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Mostly wheelchair accessible
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Parkland / open spaces
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Pet friendly
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Picnic area
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Shop
Our car park is approximately half a mile from the manor. We provide a shuttle bus to assist visitors who are unable to make the walk from the car park to the manor which runs regularly from 10am till the close of the site.
There is step free access to all the buildings on site and we have a 360 degree digital tour for visitors who are unable to access the 1st floor and attics of the manor house.
Wheelchairs are available on request and an accessible toilet is also available.
Morris loved the house as a work of true craftsmanship, totally unspoilt and unaltered, and in harmony with the village and the surrounding countryside.
He considered it so natural in its setting as to be almost organic, it looked to him as if it had, ‘grown up out of the soil;’ and with, ‘quaint garrets amongst great timbers of the roof where of old times the tillers and herdsmen slept.’
Its beautiful gardens, with barns, dovecote, a meadow and stream, provided a constant source of inspiration for Morris until his death in 1896. After his death, his wife Jane purchased the house, and his daughter, May, spent much of her adult life there.
This seventeenth-century Grade I manor house on the river Thames—perhaps the most evocative of all the houses associated with Morris—contains an outstanding collection of the possessions and works of Morris, as well as of his family and associates.
This includes furniture, original textiles, pictures and paintings, carpets, ceramics and metalwork. The estate also boasts a beautiful garden with easy access to the Thames Pathway, as well as a licensed tearoom and shop.
Important information: opening info is generated by artificial intelligence; check specific attraction details before travelling.
The indicator above will show ‘open’ when the public have any kind of access to any part of this property. That could be the park, a shop, or a special event, and may not reflect regular admission times to the main attraction. Always consult the website of the house or garden you intend to visit before travelling to check that the attraction you are interested in is open.
General Opening Times
Open Season: April to 31st October
Kelmscott Manor is open Thursday, Friday and Saturday throughout the open season. The estate opens at 10:15am and closes at 5pm. The manor house itself opens at 10:30am with last admission at 3:30pm.
Estate Access
The gardens, meadows, shop and tearoom are available throughout the open season and can be visited before or after your timed manor house entry. These areas are accessible from 10:15am to 5pm on open days.
Year-Round Access for Friends
Members of the Friends of Kelmscott Manor enjoy free entry all year round, including access beyond the standard open season.
Group Visits
Groups are welcome to visit on public open days (Thursday to Saturday throughout the open season) on a self-led basis. Tickets are pre-bookable online from March onwards.
Current Exhibition
'Good Women: Tapestries in Dialogue with Kelmscott Manor' – featuring new work by Chrissie Freeth – runs from 11th June to 31st October 2026. The exhibition is open Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 10:30am to 4:30pm.
Workshops and Events
Throughout the open season, Kelmscott Manor hosts a variety of free family-friendly drop-in workshops and special events. These include:
- Printing Press Thursdays – Every 2nd and 4th Thursday, 2:00pm to 4:00pm in the Learning Barn
- 'Threads of the Past' Community Tapestry Workshops – 18 July and 29 August 2026, 12:00pm to 4:00pm
- Artist Demonstrations – Oxford Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers on 25 July and 14 August 2026, 12:00pm to 4:00pm
- Creative Workshops – Including Rag Rugging (22 August) and Cardboard Loom Weaving (28 August), 12:00pm to 4:00pm
- 'Threads of the Past' Cross Stitch Workshop – 8 August 2026, 12:00pm to 4:00pm
- Meet the Artist: Chrissie Freeth – 6–7 August and 24–26 September 2026
- Heritage Open Day – 12 September 2026, 10:00am to 5:00pm
For specific dates and further details about workshops and events, please visit the events page.
Free for Historic Houses members.
Adult price: £15.50
Concession: £10
Family: £36
Historic Houses members cannot pre book online. Tickets for the first available slot can be collected on the day on production of a valid membership card. Failure to bring your membership card will require payment of a full-price ticket.
Kelmscott Manor promises a unique experience for groups at the spiritual home of the Arts and Crafts Movement. We welcome groups of all ages and interests to former Cotswold retreat of William Morris. With so much to see and do both in the Manor and in the surrounding Kelmscott village, we would recommend allowing a minimum of two hours for your visit.
Unfortunately we are unable to accommodate large groups on our open days however, Wednesdays are available from April to October for pre-arranged groups.
On arrival groups will be welcomed to our tearoom for tea or coffee and biscuits where they will receive a 15 minute introductory talk about William Morris and the manor. They will then be either taken on a guided tour around the manor or be able to view the rooms on a ‘free-flow’ basis. There is options to enjoy a light lunch or cream tea after their tour depending on the time of arrival.
Please contact us for more details.
Our car park is approximately half a mile from the manor. We provide a shuttle bus to assist visitors who are unable to make the walk from the car park to the manor which runs regularly from 10am till the close of the site.
There is step free access to all the buildings on site and we have a 360 degree digital tour for visitors who are unable to access the 1st floor and attics of the manor house.
Wheelchairs are available on request and an accessible toilet is also available.
Getting here
Kelmscott, Lechlade, Gloucestershire, GL7 3HJ
The main visitor entrance is at ///pushover.civil.park. What does this mean?
Kelmscott Manor is located along the Thames in the picturesque village of Kelmscott.
Kelmscott is approximately 3 miles from Lechlade (on B4449). Signposted from both the A417 and the A4095, visitors can easily travel by car; it can also be reached by walking or cycling along the Thames Path. Additionally, the Manor has a private mooring and can be reached by boat.
Due to the idealistic rural setting, public transport to the Manor is very limited.
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