Standen is an Arts and Crafts house located to the south of East Grinstead, West Sussex, England. The house and its surrounding gardens belong to the National Trust and are open to the public. It is a Grade I listed building.
Between 1891 and
1894 architect Philip Webb, who was a friend of William Morris,
designed the house for a prosperous London solicitor, James Beale,
his wife Margaret, and their family. It is decorated with Morris
carpets, fabrics and wallpapers, and the garden complements the
beauty of the house. The house still has its original electric light
fittings.
After Beale's death
in 1912, Margaret Beale continued to live at Standen. When she died
in 1936, their unmarried daughter, Margaret, succeeded her, and after
her death in 1947, Standen came into the possession of Helen, their
youngest daughter, also unmarried. On Helen's death in 1972 the house
passed by bequest to the National Trust for Places of Historic
Interest or Natural Beauty.
The estate was
formed from three farms which the Beales purchased in 1890. The
Beales started planting a 12-acre (4.9 ha) garden almost immediately
after they had purchased the land, using the site of an 18th-century
garden and orchard. In early 1891 trees were planted, a yew hedge
established and the kitchen garden begun.
The Beales consulted
a London landscape gardener who drew up a layout that assumed that
the new house would be located on the line of the existing terrace.
However, Webb suggested that it rather be placed further into the
hillside. The proposed planting schemes were characterised by strict
geometrical layouts of colourful flowerbeds and shrubs. Webb
preferred something else, however: a mixture of natural styles
combining old-fashioned formality and compartmentalised gardens. Webb
also designed a number of elements in the garden.
The resulting Arts
and Crafts garden used local materials for its formal elements, and
loose plantings amongst yew hedges, trellis and pergolas, emphasising
natural colour schemes and subtle combinations of colour and foliage.
A
history of Standen
Standen was designed
to look as though it has always been here – almost as if it has
‘grown’ out of the rock face and is a part of the landscape,
however the land that Standen now stands upon was originally made up
of three farms: Stone, Hollybush and Standen.
The location
commands fine views of the Medway Valley and Ashdown Forest, so it is
no surprise that James and Margaret Beale chose this as the site of
their planned country house. In spring 1891, they enlisted the
architect Philip Webb to lead the project.
Modern home, ancient
influences
Work began on
Standen at the end of 1891. The plans for the house had been revised
many times until all parties agreed on the design.
Webb often drew
inspiration from landscapes and historic buildings, and decided to
preserve and incorporate some of the medieval farm buildings on the
site into his design. Despite these historic influences, Standen was
built as a thoroughly modern home, complete with central heating and
electricity.
Standen was
constructed using local materials and traditional construction
methods: only ‘the best materials and workmanship’ would do – a
practice in line with the ideals of Arts and Crafts.
‘A house should be
clothed by its garden’ William Morris
The house and garden
were intended to be seen as a whole, and were designed to compliment
each other. This followed William Morris’ theory that gardens were
a continuation of a house, and should be used as such. Margaret Beale
was fascinated by plants, and had a strong influence over how the
gardens were laid out.
Finished at last
Work finished at
Standen in 1894, at a cost of £18,065, and the Beales moved in
shortly afterwards.
The family and Webb
had developed a close working relationship, frequently communicating
by letter. When work on the house finished the Beales gifted Webb
with a silver snuff box, engraved with ‘When clients talk
irritating nonsense, I take a pinch of snuff’, which hints at the
kind of working relationship the two parties had enjoyed.
The family loved
Standen, and found it met their needs so well that they scarcely made
any changes to it over the following years. Webb had created a unique
building about which there is still a real sense of discovery. The
contents of the house are rich and varied: from the abundance of Arts
and Crafts interiors, to objects that give a glimpse into the lives
of the Beale family.
In 1972, the
National Trust took over Standen. The house was in need of serious
repair and the first custodian of the property, Arthur Grogan, set
about revitalising the house and bringing it back to its former
glory.
For more information
about the collection please go to
http://www.nationaltrustcollections.org.uk and search for Standen.
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