Wightwick Manor is one of the finest examples of the Arts and Crafts domestic ideal in Britain and a remarkable thing to find two miles from a major industrial city. The house, built in 1887 and enlarged in 1893, was designed in the Old English half-timbered style and filled with the work of William Morris, C.F.A. Voysey, and Charles Kempe — William Morris wallpapers and textiles throughout, De Morgan tiles in the fireplaces, and stained glass by Kempe in the windows.
The Pre-Raphaelite painting collection inside is outstanding. The Mander family collected with genuine discernment, and works by Millais, Rossetti, Burne-Jones, and Ford Madox Brown hang in rooms that still feel lived-in rather than museumified. The garden, designed by Alfred Parsons, adds to the character — it includes a formal garden and a series of yew hedges that are now enormous.
This is a National Trust property; admission charges apply.