Burne-Jones and Morris Stained Glass You Can Visit

Where the Glass Can Actually Be Seen

Two stained glass works with firm museum records stand behind this page. The first is the Penelope panel in the Victoria and Albert Museum, designed by Edward Burne-Jones and made by Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. about 1864 in London. The second is a V&A design for a stained glass window at St Martin's Church, Marple, Cheshire, by William Morris, dated 1873, drawn in pencil and wash.

The Marple design, according to the V&A, depicts the background for a figure of the Virgin by Burne-Jones, so it documents the working partnership between the two men even though it is a drawing rather than installed glass. Red House, the National Trust property in London where Burne-Jones made stained glass and paintings for Morris, is the visitable building connected with this work.

What the evidence does not establish is equally important. It does not record which specific Burne-Jones and Morris windows can be seen at Red House today, whether the Marple design can be viewed in situ at St Martin's Church, or whether the V&A pieces are currently on display. Those questions are set out in full below.

How Morris and Burne-Jones Came to Make Stained Glass Together

The partnership began at Oxford. According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, Morris met Edward Jones, later Burne-Jones, at Exeter College in 1853. Within a few years the two were working together on the decorative schemes that led to Morris's first business venture.

Britannica records that after his marriage Morris commissioned Philip Webb to build the Red House at Bexleyheath, and that the idea of founding an association of fine art workmen came during the furnishing and decorating of that house. In April 1861 it became the firm of Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Company, with premises in Red Lion Square. The other members, again by Britannica's account, were Ford Madox Brown, Rossetti, Webb and Burne-Jones.

Stained glass was part of the firm's work from early on. Britannica notes that Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. exhibited stained glass at the International Exhibition of 1862 at South Kensington. The V&A credits the firm, founded in 1861, with being instrumental in reintroducing stained glass to the home. The V&A also judges that Burne-Jones was the most prolific and influential of the stained glass designers working with Morris during this period.

For the wider arc of Morris's life and work, see our guide to places connected with Morris's life places connected with Morris's life, which sets the glasswork in its biographical context.

The Penelope Panel and the Marple Window Design

The Penelope panel is the best documented piece of Burne-Jones and Morris glass. The V&A records it as designed by Edward Burne-Jones and made by Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. about 1864, in London. It is a roundel belonging to a series depicting Geoffrey Chaucer and six characters from his poem Goode Wimmen, according to the museum's record.

The panel has an unusual acquisition history. The V&A states that it is one of four purchased from an exhibition of contemporary stained glass held at the South Kensington Museum in 1864, so the museum acquired it in the year it was made.

The Marple design shows the same partnership at the drawing stage. The V&A attributes it to William Morris, dates it to 1873, and describes it as a design in pencil and wash for a stained glass window at St Martin's Church, Marple, Cheshire. According to the museum, it depicts the background for a figure of the Virgin by Burne-Jones, meaning Morris drew the setting for his friend's figure work.

If you want to explore more original designs on paper, our collection of William Morris original designs gathers comparable works.

Red House: The Place Where It Began

Red House is the building where the firm that made this glass took shape. The National Trust records that it was designed by Philip Webb and completed in 1860, and Britannica likewise records that Morris commissioned Webb to build it after his marriage. One source in our evidence instead credits Morris as the designer, so the attribution is not unanimous across all records; the National Trust and Britannica both name Webb.

The National Trust describes the house as holding original features and furniture by Morris and Philip Webb, stained glass and paintings by Burne-Jones, and embroidery by Jane and Elizabeth Burden. Its rooms, the Trust says, give a view of William and Janey's life and the establishment of what later became Morris & Co.

Burne-Jones's affection for the place is on record. The National Trust quotes him describing Red House as the beautifullest place on earth. It was here, during the furnishing and decorating of the house, that the idea of the fine art workmen's association arose, becoming Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Company in April 1861, according to Britannica.

What the Sources Do Not Yet Confirm

Several questions a visitor would naturally ask cannot be answered from the evidence gathered for this page. We list them plainly rather than filling the gaps with guesswork.

Open questions at the time of writing:

• Which specific Burne-Jones and Morris stained glass windows can be seen at Red House today, and which windows are attributed to whom.
• Whether the V&A Marple design corresponds to glass that can be seen in situ at St Martin's Church, Marple.
• The correct designer of Red House, given that one source credits Morris while the National Trust and Britannica name Philip Webb as designer.
• Current opening hours, ticket prices and booking details for Red House, verified on the publish date.

If you are planning a trip around any of these sites, check the relevant official listings before travelling, since the details here are only as current as the records behind them.

Planning a Visit

Red House is a National Trust property in London. The Trust states that visits must be pre-booked and that expert guides help visitors explore, so this is not a turn-up-on-the-day site. Hours and prices are not confirmed in the evidence for this page and should be checked on the National Trust's own listing at the time of booking.

Access is worth planning for. The National Trust notes that the main drive has thick gravel with occasional steps, and that the brick paths around the garden are uneven and can be slippery when wet. Anyone with mobility concerns should contact the property directly before visiting.

More Morris Places to Visit

Two other London and Thames-side places extend a visit. The William Morris Society is based in the Coach House and Lower Rooms of Kelmscott House, Hammersmith, which was Morris's London home for the last eighteen years of his life. The Society's rooms hold exhibitions and events, and our page on Kelmscott House, Hammersmith covers the house in more depth.

Upstream on the Thames, you can read the story of Kelmscott Manor the story of Kelmscott Manor, the country home Morris loved, in our separate guide. For the industrial side of the firm's later years, see a closer look at Merton Abbey Works a closer look at Merton Abbey Works, where Morris printed and wove.