Inside the house, the walls, carpets, bedspreads and fabrics on the chairs and sofas are almost a catalogue of William Morris & Co, while outside the gardens are gradually awakening as winter turns into spring.   Home of the Beale family, Standon House was built between 1891 and 1894 by Philip Webb who, true to arts and crafts philosophy, used local stone, tiles and timber in its construction, while employing William Morris & Co to furnish the interiors, with some of the furniture also his own design.  The house remains almost as it would have been when completed, full of arts and crafts glass, ceramics and other objects and art of the period.  The family had a strong interest in the arts, and some of the embroidery of  the artist Mary Beale (1872-1947) remains in the house, with one room on show as her studio.

The National Trust continues to keep the arts and crafts spirit alive with activities and exhibitions which currently include ”The Standen Collection’ – modern hand-printed fabrics and wallpapers inspired by Standen’s staff, volunteers and visitors, designed by Peter Thailes and Rebecca Aird – and ‘National Trust Treasures’ – portraits of six of the 400 volunteers at Standen by Mary Stone, who is studying portraiture and is a volunteer herself, part of a campaign to encourage new volunteers at National Trust properties who can use their training and experience to the benefit of a property they love and enjoy.  Nigel Coan for example previously worked in the aerospace industry and as a mechanical engineer in the NHS and in schools and Jane Hale was formerly MD of an oil trading company before training in education.   In addition, exploration of the gardens will reveal Will Shannon’s contemporary ‘Bothy’ in the gardens built using local materials and traditional skills