The sublime

3/8/2018


Kelmscott is a sleepy village on the Thames, stone houses, a 17th C pub, a church, and Kelmscott Manor, a 16th C farm, home and inspiration of William Morris. No new developments scar the village.
The Morris story fascinates us, his craft, socialism, friendships, writing. And how he tolerated his wife's affair with his friend, Rosetti, sharing a house with them for a few years.

The house is a fascination, even without the Morris backstory.  A 3 seater dunny, an ale brewing tub over a metre deep, hand adzed rafter joints.  Then the Solomon tapestries, flooring of elm, oak, chestnut (I asked), an amazing ladder stair to the attics.

All this, a fine pub meal (quail eggs with celery salt, gin cured salmon...), and the boat moored nearby.

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