About Us

The Society was formed in 1996 to promote the appreciation, understanding and conservation of all aspects of design, including buildings and gardens, of the period of the Arts and Crafts Movement from 1870 to 1930. We are fortunate in Surrey to have so many fine examples of these. Surrey was, of course, the home of Edwin Lutyens and Gertrude Jekyll – leading practitioners in the fields of architectural and garden design. While many buildings can be found in West Surrey, there are also gems in the east of the county such as the Frank Dickinson House – a wonderful example of the efforts of an amateur who worked for decades on his own home. There are also important collections such as the De Morgan Collection of ceramics at the Watts Gallery and items such as doors , windows and their fittings at the Brooking Museum of Architectural Detail.

The Society’s lectures cover Arts and Crafts design both at home and abroad, including paintings, sculptures, textiles, furniture, stained glass and books. These lectures are held either in a venue near Guildford, Surrey or on zoom. Our visits are mainly based in Surrey and the surrounding counties and our annual tours have been to places ranging from Glasgow to the Sussex Coast and the Isle of Man to Norfolk. You do not have to live in Surrey to see our zoom lectures and receive our e-newsletters with articles of Arts and Crafts interest. Society members also work on recording and conserving Arts and Crafts buildings. We award small grants for restoration or publicity of works of merit. An example is a grant towards new books for the Glasgow School of Art library after its disastrous fires. We also have a number of our own publications. Among these is Nature and Tradition which highlights a broad selection of buildings and gardens around Guildford by well known Arts and Crafts architects.

Meet the Committee Members