Watts Gallery – Artists’ Village
House and art gallery dedicated to the work of the Victorian-era painter and sculptor George Frederic Watts.
Down Lane, Compton, Surrey, GU3 1DQ
In 1889, seeking a winter retreat from their Holland Park house and studio and wishing to escape the smogs of London that caused George’s bad health, G F and Mary Watts stayed with friends in Compton.
They quickly decided that this picturesque village nestled in the Surrey hills would make the ideal location for their own Autumn/Winter residence.
Watts Gallery was finished shortly before the death of G F Watts, and quickly became a much-loved local attraction. One hundred years later it was crumbling into decrepitude, but has since been sensitively restored and adapted. Today, the founders’ ethos of ‘art for all by all’ remains at the heart of this unique place.
George and Mary Watts’ home and studios, Limnerslease, was designed by the great Arts and Crafts architect Sir Ernest George and was completed in 1891. The ‘little house’, as they called Limnerslease, grew into a source of inspiration and a place of great productivity and tranquillity for them both.
Limnerslease was very much an artists’ home. Its name comes from ‘Limner’ — the Old English word for artist — and ‘lease’ — to glean hope for the future. Mary was not the only one who found new inspiration in Compton; George set up a new studio designed with his large canvases in mind and desire for good light, a place where he was able to work on the many pieces that he had been
Getting here
Down Lane, Compton, Surrey, GU3 1DQ
The main visitor entrance is at ///developed.magnetic.spike. What does this mean?
Located in Compton, Surrey, near Guildford. Just 40 mins from London Waterloo, and a short bus/taxi ride from Guildford station.
Trains run every 15 minutes from London Waterloo to Guildford station. There is a 46 bus from Guildford that runs every hour and drops passengers right outside the Visitor Centre of Watts Gallery – Artists’ Village.
