Standen in style

Standen is a real gem of a country house and well worth a visit.

Hidden away at the end of a quiet Sussex lane this Arts and Crafts treasure has breathtaking views over the surrounding countryside.

The house is best known for its William Morris interiors.

Every room inside this National Trust property is filled with wallpapers, carpets, textiles and furniture from the firm of Morris & Co., which celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2011.

Standen was built as a family home, and both house and garden reflect the aspirations and affluence of James and Margaret Beale who bought the estate in the 1890s. The architect behind Standen was Philip Webb, one of the fathers of the Arts and Crafts Movement and great friend of William Morris, with whom he collaborated many times on architectural commissions.

Standen is now the only intact example of his country house work left in Britain.

Always designing without assistants, he was only ever able to take on one commission at a time so his output of buildings is low compared to other architects of the time.

By the 1950s his style of architecture was totally out of fashion, and many of his houses were demolished or reduced to a more manageable size.

Helen Beale, daughter of James and Margaret, realised the importance of Standen and determined to leave it to the National Trust on her death in 1972, having to buy out her brothers’ and sisters’ shares in the estate to do so.

The story of the National Trust’s taking on of Standen is told in an upcoming exhibition, Saving Standen, May 16 to July 1, on the first floor of the house.

Margaret Beale was particularly excited to have a garden at Standen.

The 12 acres of garden, spread out across the hillside, gave her huge scope to experiment and she introduced many exotic flowers and shrubs, giving the gardens great splashes of colour throughout the year.

After the Second World War much of her original planting scheme was lost in an attempt to reduce maintenance costs but the National Trust has now undertaken a conservation plan and the garden team hopes to start on a five-year restoration project which will bring Margaret’s vision back to Standen.

Free Restoration Tours now take place every week to highlight the upcoming plans, as well as the history of the gardens.

Standen also hosts exhibitions of contemporary artists, who have been inspired by the Arts and Crafts Movement, throughout the year.

May will see the first of these for 2012. Colourful Women, May 16 to June 5, will showcase the works of four female artists from the Sussex Guild, and will include textiles, ceramics and jewellery.

All their work will be for sale.

Many women were active in the Arts and Crafts Movement, including Margaret Macintosh, Evelyn De Morgan and the Garrett sisters.

The latter were furniture designers and some examples of their pieces can be seen in the house.

Standen, West Hoathly Road, East Grinstead, West Sussex, RH19 4NE Standen is open Wednesday to Sunday until May 27, and every day from May 30 until September 2. For further information call Standen on 01342 323029 or visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/standen.