Staycation 2020 - Standen House and Garden

Another weekend and another "staycation" drive out. This time to Standen House, another National Trust managed property.

This one is special as the finest example of the William Morris' Arts and Crafts movement at the end of the 19th century. The house is as it would have been with the dining room restored to "as is" from from the 1920's.

It took a while to get there with the route TomTom decided on. Only 71 miles but it took nearly an hour and a half.

Only the ground floor is open as the upstairs isn't wide enough to allow social distancing.

As with any property trying to stay open during the pandemic and aftermath, public safety is a top priority. Entry is by pre-booked ticket (booked online) with limited numbers and timed entry. There was a small queue to get into the house itself, controlled by a traffic light system and a one way route around the ground floor.

William Morris Arts & Crafts Wallpaper

William Morris Arts & Crafts Wallpaper

As we had left the dog at home we only did the house this weekend, and decided to come back and do the walks in the 12 acres of gardens when he can come too. Maybe if the weather holds up we can come back in a few weeks otherwise it will be next year.

The TomTom took us home the country route rather than the motorway route. In the end it took about the same time and we got to see some parts of Kent that we hadn't seen before. We forget that our own county and the weald is very beautiful between the towns and villages.