Kelmscott on A Rainy July Weekend

So, lots of things to say, as well as photographs to share.

I'm an admirer of William Morris. I have been for a long time: the writing, the designing, the art, the philosophy and politics of the man. If you want to know more, I commend the Fiona MacCarthy biography of William Morris. Really - go, read it.

On a rainy Saturday in July, I finally got to visit Kelmscott, the beautiful cotswold house where Morris, his family and (from time to time) assorted Romantic artists lived and worked for many years - an important, almost-pilgrimage, for me. There would have been more photos, but, hey, dark and rainy does not make for ideal photographic conditions and juggling a camera, a handbag and a huge, very wet umbrella presents its own challenges.

In the village of Kelmscott there is a rather lovely and very old church. The family of the owners of Kelmscott Manor (Morris rented) are buried there. William and Jane Morris are buried there themselves and, yes, I visited their grave, though it's difficult to find behind a large bay tree. The exceptionally wet weather didn't make for a reasonable photograph of the craft movement style grave, but I delighted in the re-discovered medieval frescos in the church.

And so to Kelmscott Manor, via a rather attractive, warm and comfortably dry village pub that served excellent beer and sandwiches (The Plough Inn, if you are asking, and it has Hooky on draught, amongst other delights).