"Serene, sweet and wond 'rous"

... A comment recorded by one of our visitors in the first of a new series of specially
commissioned visitor books. Hand-bound by Katherine O'Connell, who is resident bookbinder at Cirencester's New Brewery Arts, the four volumes are covered in Honeysuckle & Tulip fabric, kindly donated by Sanderson.

Katherine's inspiration came from the 1889 editions of William Morris's The Roots of the Mountains, in the Tapestry Room bookcase. Bound with fabrics over boards, these were part of a pre-Kelmscott Press experiment, which Morris thought "the best-looking book issued since the seventeenth century". Kelmscott Manor has three of the 250 printed. One has the inscription "to May from William Morris with best love Nov: 20th 1889"; another "to Janie with Will’s best love December 4th 1889".

The four new visitor books have been printed by Severnprint, of Cheltenham.