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Standen, Sussex

Standen near East Grinstead in Sussex is a grand country house built by Philip Webb between 1892 and 1894. It was designed as a holiday home for James Beale, a successful London solicitor. The starting point for the house was a fifteenth century farmhouse which now sits close to the ticket office. This was linked by a covered gateway to the new house.

Standen, built with great care and craftsmanship, contained the most up to date features. The House of Commons had been lit with electric light in 1881, with the first private house, Cragside, lit by electricity in 1884. Standen built only a few years later had one of the earliest electrical systems in Britain. This original system still survives in the house, and continues to power lighting at Standen today. The light bulbs, I was told, are specially produced at great expense by Phillips. The house was decorated by William Morris's company. Walking around Standen gave me a sense of entering the world of H.G. Wells and Jules Verne. The H.G. Wells story The Time Machine was published in 1895, the year after Standen was completed. These turn of the century writers were ambivalent about science and technology, writing stories about its glorious possibilities, and potential pitfalls. Standen catches this moment when science began to create its own literature.

Standen seems to represent the future, but its builders had strong links with the nostalgic nineteenth century Arts and Crafts movement. William Morris believed that modern mass production endangered individual creativity, and threatened to dehumanise the working lives of millions of people. As a remedy he hoped his Arts and Crafts movement would revive traditional individual craftsmanship. By the early twentieth century it became apparent that inspite of William Morris's egalitarian ideals, hand made products were expensive to make, and served only as status symbols for the rich. Standen, for all its beauty, is an illustration of this. Standen's owner, James Beale, who commissioned the house was a wealthy London solicitor. In many ways Standen is memorial to the Arts and Crafts movement, one of its greatest achievements, and an illustration of why it came to an end.

 

 

 

Address: Standen, West Hoathley Road, East Grinstead, West Sussex RH19 4NE

Opening Times:

19th February to 6th March weekends only 11am to 4.30pm.

12th March to 10th April Wednesday to Sunday

11th to 25th April Wednesday to Monday

27th April to 24th July Wednesday to Sunday.

25th July to 4th September Wednesday to Monday

7th September to 23rd October Wednesday to Sunday

24th to 30th October Wednesday to Monday

5th November to 18th December 11am to 3pm weekends only.

Also open 19th to 21st December 11am - 3pm.

The garden closes at 5.30pm.

 

 

 

Directions: Standen is two miles south of East Grinstead. The house is sign posted from the town centre, and from the B2110. Click here for an interactive road and satellite map centred on Standen.

Access: Five wheelchairs are available to hire. Only the ground floor of the house is accessible for those in wheelchairs. A photograph album tour is provided, as well as large print and braille guides. A map of accessible routes within the grounds is available. There is an adapted toilet in the kitchen courtyard. The shop and restaurant have ramped access. There is an induction loop in the shop.

 

Contact:

telephone: 01342 323029

e-mail: standen@nationaltrust.org.uk

web site: www.nationaltrust.org.uk

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