Wightwick Manor and Gardens




Paint, Politics and Pre-Raphaelite Artists
Paint, Politics and Pre-Raphaelite Artists
In 1937 Geoffrey Mander, a local paint manufacturer and Liberal MP, did something remarkable – he persuaded the National Trust to accept a house for the nation that was just 50 years old.
Geoffrey had inherited Wightwick in 1900, a house designed in an ‘Old English’ style by Midlands architect Edward Ould and built for his parents, Theodore and Flora Mander, between 1887–1893.
While they lived in the house, Theodore and Flora took inspiration from Oscar Wilde’s lecture on 'the House Beautiful'; as a result, the interiors reflect Wilde’s commitment to the principles of the Aesthetic Movement and the ideals of ‘art for art’s sake’. Wilde’s influence can be seen in the collection of objects from Japan and China and the designs of William Morris and his British Arts and Crafts contemporaries.
Having given the house to the Trust, Geoffrey and his second wife Rosalie became its live-in curators, opening the house to the public and adding to its contents, in particular a remarkable collection of Pre-Raphaelite paintings by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Edward Burne-Jones, Marie Spartali Stillman, Elizabeth Siddal and many others. The collection now forms one of the largest public collections of work by female artists in Britain.
You’ll also find a separate gallery dedicated to the work of 19th-century painter Evelyn De Morgan and her husband, ceramicist William De Morgan, on loan from the De Morgan Foundation. Look out for changing exhibitions of their work.
Gift Aid | Standard | |
---|---|---|
Adult | £14.30 | £13.00 |
Child | £7.20 | £6.50 |
Family | £35.80 | £32.50 |
1 adult family | £21.50 | £19.50 |
Pre-booked School Visits per pupil | N/A | £4.00 |
Group Adult
Minimum group size 15
|
N/A | £12.00 |
Most of our places run the Gift Aid on Entry scheme at their admission points.
Under this scheme, if you're not a member you have the choice of two entry tickets:
If the place runs Gift Aid on Entry, we'll offer you a clear choice between the Gift Aid Admission prices and the Standard Admission prices at the admission point. It's entirely up to you which ticket you choose.
Gift Aid Admission includes a 10 per cent or more voluntary donation. Gift Aid Admissions let us reclaim tax on the whole amount paid - an extra 25 per cent - potentially a very significant boost to our places' funds.
An extra £1 paid under the scheme can be worth over £3 to the National Trust as shown below:
Gift Aid | Standard | |
---|---|---|
Amount paid by visitor | £11.00 | £10.00 |
Tax refund from Government* | £2.75 | £0.00 |
Total received by the National Trust | £13.75 | £10.00 |
*Gift Aid Admissions let us reclaim tax on the whole amount paid - an extra 25 per cent - potentially a very significant boost to our places' funds.
Free entry for National Trust members and under 5's, admission costs apply to non-members to access all areas of the site.
Manor: Manor & Gallery: last entry 1 hour before closing. Summer free-flow entry from 11 to 4. Winter free-flow entry 11 to 3. A limited number of rooms on the upper floor will be open from Monday 7 March. Manor fully closed 9, 10, 16, 17, 23 and 24 November for conservation. Closed 25 and 26 December. Please be aware these times and dates are subject to change at short notice.