1916 Visits to Red House Godalming, Watts Gallery and Limnerslease

Saturday 22 June 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Price for single attendee: £0.00

Led by Paul Waite. In the morning we will visit the Watts Gallery, Chapel and Limnerslease where we will have lunch. George Frederic Watts moved to Compton in 1891 and, with his artist wife, Mary Fraser-Tytler, planned a museum devoted to his work, which opened in April 1904, just before his death. The architect of the Gallery was Christopher Hatton Turnor, an admirer of Edwin Lutyens and CFA Voysey. It is one of only a few galleries in the UK devoted to a single artist. Compton’s burial ground, nearby, houses Watts’ remains and is dominated by the ornate Arts & Crafts Watts Mortuary Chapel, designed by Watts’ wife Mary. Following the closure of the De Morgan Centre, London, in 2014, the Watts Gallery and the De Morgan Foundation, a registered charity preserving the work of William De Morgan and Evelyn De Morgan, entered into a collaboration which saw the opening of a long term exhibition in the Richard Jeffries Gallery in the main gallery building, which includes a number of key works from the De Morgan Collection. We will then visit Limnerslease which was designed by Sir Ernest George in 1891 to be the home and studio of George and Mary Watts. We will end the day at the Red House, Godalming (1899). The budget and site gave Sir Edwin Lutyens a chance to be very inventive. Of particular interest are the unusual and impressive early Lutyens fireplaces in the drawing-room and dining-room. Gertrude Jekyll planted the garden. Meet at Guildford railway station not Guildford London Road station (the 08.39 train from London Waterloo arrives at 09.51 but check). The day ends at Walton-on-Thames railway station. £75. Booking required.*

 


Sessions


Event code: 1916

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