Kelmscott Manor

Bit of a walk from parking area to the house itself so difficult for those less able but there is a small buggy to and from the house if you need it. The house itself is very interesting with knowledgeable room guides so take the time to talk to them and get a lot more information and history of the house.....staircase to upper floor is ok but no other way of getting up there. The biggest problem is the the "dutch" staircase to the attic rooms.....and impossible to use if you are less than able bodied but there is nothing they can do about that. Once up there it's worth it but the way back down is via a spiral staircase. The gardens and grounds are very nice with plenty of benches to sit and enjoy the surroundings or just 'take 5'. The day I went we had wall to wall sunshine so many people chose to eat outside - again plenty of tables - but be warned that this house is basically on a farm and you must be prepared for the all enveloping farmyard smells! EATING....there are tearooms, adequate but not huge but spotlessly clean. However.....everybody commented on how expensive it was......7 for a coffee and piece of flapjack with other items of cake etc costing more. At lunchime I had another coffee and a ploughman's....it consisted of a lettuce leaf with chutney in it, small pickled onions, baby gherkins (or if you are posh cornichons), some halved radish, some halved cherry tomatoes......however, what should have been the stars of the show were just a small slice of ham and thin slice of cheese and a very small portion of French bread.......so all pickle and little protein! This cost 14 with the coffee and wasn't worth it. Two of our number had morning coffee and were so appalled at the tearoom prices , they walked the very short distance to the pub and had a delicious steak for half what I had paid for my underwhelming ploughmans. Saying items are homemade should not be an excuse to to charge too much! Sadly the giftshop too is VERY expensive......I fully understand the need to make a profit to upkeep the house etc, but there is surely no need to rip off visitors who are supporting you anyway simply by being there? I have seen some of the items for sale elsewhere at a much lower price. SUMMING UP....the house and gardens are well worth a visit but not all rooms available to those with reduced mobility. DO take your own food - a picnic and a flask and stay out of the giftshop!
Apr 25th, 2023

Visited on Weekday Wait time No wait Reservation recommended No More
May 4th, 2023

Visited on Weekday Wait time 1030 min Reservation recommended Yes More
Apr 28th, 2023

Visited on Weekday Wait time No wait Reservation recommended Not sure More
Apr 25th, 2023

Worth a visit if you are interested in William Morris. Small shuttle buggy takes you from the car park to the manor Cafe is small and service can be slow with limited menu. Volunteers are very knowledgable Nice village location
Apr 25th, 2023