William Morris Gallery

The William Morris Gallery sits in Walthamstow’s Lloyd Park, once the grounds of Water House, a Grade II* listed Georgian home where the designer spent his teenage years. Built in 1762, the house became the Morris family residence from 1848 to 1856 before passing to newspaper owner Edward Lloyd. His son later donated the estate to Walthamstow in 1900, turning it into a public park. The gallery opened in 1950 after Prime Minister Clement Attlee unveiled it. In 2012 it reopened following a major refurbishment led by Pringle Richards Sharratt, adding a new wing with a 60 m² temporary exhibition space and a tearoom. Inside, nine permanent rooms trace Morris’s life and work across design, writing and activism. Early rooms cover his background and influences, including Pre-Raphaelite artists and John Ruskin. The Morris & Co room explores his design company, while the Workshop room shows his manufacturing methods. An interactive Shop gallery recreates Victorian shopping for his creations. The Ideal Book room displays Morris’s original printing of Earthly Paradise, and the Fighting for a Cause room examines his socialist beliefs. The Arts and Crafts room highlights the movement he founded, and a final gallery features works by his student Frank Brangwyn. Outside, Lloyd Park offers a café, artist studios and sports facilities including tennis courts and a skate park. A moat-surrounded island once held the Waltham Forest Theatre, demolished in 2011 during redevelopment. The park also hosts a regular food market. The gallery’s temporary exhibitions have included Grayson Perry’s 15-metre-long The Walthamstow Tapestry. In 2013 the museum won national awards for Museum of the Year and Best Permanent Exhibition.