The story of Standen, considered one of the finest examples of Arts and Crafts houses by Philip Webb

In 1891, James Beale, a wealthy, middle-class Unitarian solicitor from Birmingham, commissioned architect Philip Webb to design a holiday home in the Sussex countryside. The Beale family remained sole owners of the property until Helen Beale, James and Margaret Beale’s last surviving child, bequeathed the estate to the National Trust in 1972.

Although Standen is recognised by architectural historians as a fine and complete example of Philip Webb’s Arts and Crafts architecture of the period and is widely celebrated for its Morris & Co. wallpapers and furnishings, little has been written about how the family experienced the house, garden and estate, and the extent to which this shaped Standen’s later life under the National Trust.

This book fills the void, focusing on the Beales’ lived experience and how they collaborated with Philip Webb in the creation of Standen. Historic photographs and material from the family and estate archives, relating to both the property and its magnificent collection, reveal the extent to which the Beales’ appreciation for the Arts and Crafts Movement influenced the creation of Standen’s decorative interior, its gardens and the wider estate, from 1890 to the present day. Based on extensive new research, this lavishly illustrated publication weaves a rich historical context for Standen and its stories of human experience.

“One of the great revelations of the book is the richness of the archival sources relating to Standen. The quality of the content is matched by the handsome production values; this book is highly recommended.”—Christopher Rycroft, Burlington Magazine

“Beautifully produced, copiously illustrated, well written by the multiple authors, and excellent value. . . . It should be compulsory reading for all curators of historic houses.”—Annette Caruthers, DAS Newsletter

“Beautifully illustrated with new photography and a wealth of archive material.”—National Trust Cultural Heritage Magazine

Dr Anne Stutchbury is an independent art historian, researcher and writer specialising in the lived experience and social and cultural perspectives of the Arts and Crafts and Aesthetic movements. Stephen Ponder is a retired National Trust curator and writer specialising in Victorian and Edwardian architecture. Dr Alice Strickland is a National Trust curator in London and the South East and an independent writer. Tessa Wild is a curator, writer and author of William Morris and his Palace of Art (2018).