Place Guide · Places
A William Morris Walking Route Through London
No official Morris walking route exists in London, but two documented sites can be joined into one: Red House in Bexleyheath and Kelmscott House in Hammersmith. Here is what each offers and how to plan the journey between them.
On this page
There is no single official William Morris walking route through London, but the documented Morris sites in the capital can be joined into one: Red House in Bexleyheath, where Morris spent five years, a period Encyclopaedia Britannica records as the happiest of his life, and Kelmscott House in Hammersmith, his London home for the last eighteen years of his life. This guide sets out what each place offers and how to plan a visit.
Both stops have a direct Morris connection, which is more than can be said for many places on the usual tourist trail. The route below sticks to what the sources establish and flags what they do not.
Two documented Morris places in London
The evidence for this page documents two London sites with a direct Morris connection. The first is Red House at Red House Lane, Bexleyheath, in south east London, where Morris spent five years, a period Encyclopaedia Britannica records as the happiest of his life. The second is Kelmscott House in Hammersmith, west London, his home for the final eighteen years of his life and now the base of the William Morris Society.
No official walking route connecting the two exists in the sources used here, and the distance between Bexleyheath and Hammersmith makes a literal walk a serious undertaking. What follows is better understood as a route: a sequence of visits, joined by public transport, that covers the two documented chapters of Morris's London life.
According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, Morris was an English designer, craftsman, poet and early socialist whose designs generated the Arts and Crafts movement in England. He was born on March 24, 1834, in Walthamstow, near London, and died on October 3, 1896, in Hammersmith, aged 62. The two stops on this route bracket that later life.
Red House: five years in Bexleyheath
Morris spent five years at Red House, a period Encyclopaedia Britannica records as the happiest of his life. His daughters Jenny and May were born in 1861 and 1862, during the years the family lived there.
The stay ended in 1865, when Morris moved to Bloomsbury in London after a serious attack of rheumatic fever. That move brought him back to central London and began the next phase of his working life.
One caution: the evidence for this page does not establish who designed or built Red House, so that story is not told here. Our guide to Red House covers the building's history in full for readers who want the architectural account before visiting.
Kelmscott House: Hammersmith and the later years
Kelmscott House in Hammersmith was Morris's London home for the last eighteen years of his life. According to the William Morris Society, it was here that he pursued new creative directions for his firm Morris & Co., experimented with book design and private printing, and became a leading voice in the Socialist League.
The private printing work begun in this period had a long afterlife. Encyclopaedia Britannica records that Morris's Kelmscott Press sought to recapture the quality of early printed books and influenced graphic and book design and the private press movement.
The William Morris Society is based in the Coach House and Lower Rooms of Kelmscott House, which now house a museum and event space. The Society, according to its own record, is a charity founded in 1955 to share knowledge of the life and works of William Morris.
Planning the walk: getting to each site
Red House sits at Red House Lane, Bexleyheath, London, DA6 8JF. The National Trust lists Bexleyheath as the nearest train station, with direct services from London Victoria, London Charing Cross and London Cannon Street.
For bus travellers, the National Trust lists eight routes stopping at Upton Road near Red House: 89, 422, 486, B11 and B16 (London Central), B12 and B15 (Arriva Kent Thameside), B14 (Metrobus) and 96 (Selkent).
| Stop | Location | Transport documented in the evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Red House | Red House Lane, Bexleyheath, London, DA6 8JF | Train to Bexleyheath from Victoria, Charing Cross or Cannon Street; buses 89, 422, 486, B11, B16, B12, B15, B14 and 96 stop at Upton Road |
| Kelmscott House | Hammersmith, west London | Exact street address and visiting details not established in the evidence for this page |
Visiting details for Kelmscott House and the William Morris Society, including opening hours and admission, are not established in the evidence used here. Check the Society's own information before travelling. The same applies to Red House opening times and booking arrangements: verify them at publish date and again before your visit.
What to see at each stop
At Red House, the National Trust describes a garden with arts and crafts style planting, an apple orchard and a rose arch. The house is also presenting a display called The Positive Necessities of Life, featuring personally significant domestic objects selected by architects, designers, local residents and young people from Bexley.
The evidence for this page does not list which Morris objects are on display at Red House or at Kelmscott House, so no specific works can be named here. Ask on site or check current displays before travelling.
At the Hammersmith end, the William Morris Society runs an events programme that offers a structured way into Kelmscott House. Its listings include Morris by Moonlight, scheduled for December 3rd, and an online talk by Director Gabriella Esser titled Practically Magic: William Morris at Home in Hammersmith on Thursday 5th November 2026, 7:00pm to 8:00pm. The Society's record does not state the year for the December event, so confirm dates when booking.
Extending the route: Walthamstow and beyond
A third London stop sits at the start of the story.
For readers who want the whole chronology in order, from Walthamstow through Bexleyheath and Bloomsbury to Hammersmith, places connected with Morris's life are set out on our biography page alongside his designs and timeline. Encyclopaedia Britannica records that Morris is now seen as a visionary figure who believed that art should encompass the entire man-made environment, a view that makes the geography of his life worth tracing on the ground.
Morris's reach extends well beyond London too. If your travels take you across the Atlantic, our guide to Where to See William Morris in the United States in detail lists the American collections worth seeking out.
For the fullest account of the Bexleyheath stop, continue to our guide to Red House, which covers the building's story and what a visit involves today.
Sources & further reading
- National TrustRed House │ London | National TrustHistoric houseRead source
- The William Morris SocietyThe William Morris SocietySocietyRead source
- Encyclopaedia BritannicaWilliam Morris | Biography, Designs, & Facts | BritannicaEncyclopediaRead source
