Kelmscott Manor and the Society of Antiquaries of London

Kelmscott Manor has been owned and managed by the Society of Antiquaries of London since the early 1960s.

Morris himself was elected a Fellow of the Society on 7 June 1894, joining a body that was formed in 1707 and that had grown, under royal patronage, to be the nation’s leading learned society dedicated to the study of the material remains of the past.  Morris’s multiple interests – in books and ancient buildings, works of art and archaeological monuments, medieval crafts and heritage conservation – represent in microcosm the aims and values of the Society.

The major programme of repair that the Society embarked upon in 1963, funded by a generous and timely donations, was undertaken with the help of Morris’s own Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings.  As a result the Society has breathed new life into the Manor and is now able to share with visitors the ambiance of the family home that Morris loved as an embodiment of history and traditional craftsmanship.