The Arts and Crafts Movement in the Cotswolds

 Kirsty Hartsiotis gave our August lecture in the Council Chamber, an excellent tour through the history and relevance of the Arts and Crafts movement based in the Cotswolds. Kirsty is giving a talk tonight on Medieval Stained Glass to the Winchcombe history group. I would love to have gone if I didn't have a committee meeting. 

Kirsty started by talking about The Great Exhibition in 1851 which was technically very good, this may have spawned a group of people who wanted to make things in small workshops mimicking the medieval workshops. Some of those included in this workshop movement were The Morris and Burne-Jones families seen here together in 1874 and inset Philip Webb in 1873.

The Arts and Crafts movement was a state of mind, a way of making things in a simple way, whether it was furniture, houses, hair combs, they were simple forms inspired by nature. High quality materials were used and the objects were made in small workshops

Examples of stained glass made by Burne-Jones and Ford Maddox Brown among others for Morris, Marshall & Faulkner abound from this time. Many had trained at Birmingham School of Art 

The Cotswolds at that time afforded cheap housing in wonderful countryside which is why so many of those involved in the movement lived there. 10 years ago to the day, we visited the chapel at Marlborough College where there are stained glass windows designed by Burne-Jones and fantastic pre Raphaelite paintings by John Spencer-Stanhope.

During this time William Morris moved to Kelmscott and Sidney and Ernest Barnsely and Ernest Gimson built 3 houses together using traditional building techniques. Rodmarton Manor is one of those houses, and also Cotswold Farm, 

Above more things made at this time, the Iznik influences charger

Above a gorgeous black mare made by William Simmonds

and a necklace made by Ashbee who was based in Chipping Campden, I think.

There was so much information imparted by Kirsty who until recently worked at The Wilson, if you click on the link, you can find more information on the Arts and Crafts Movement. 

The Friends have donated £500 to discover what is inside a Roman Bucket acquired fairly recently by MAS and Kirsty was fortunately able to show us what was found inside:

I think the bucket will go on display with explanations before long

The vase inside the bucket looks much younger and there's something else in there which I couldn't really see.

It was certainly very exciting seeing the contents of the bucket and also hearing about the arts and crafts virtually on our doorstep.