Watts Cemetery Chapel and the artists’ village

The promise of some good autumnal weather tempted me out for a day trip to the village of Compton near Guildford, Surrey. I have long wanted to see Watts Gallery – Artists’ Village and the nearby Cemetery Chapel after a recommendation from a work colleague. It was every bit as wonderful as I imagined.

Our visit started with a look around Limnerslease, the arts and crafts studio home that was purpose built in 1891 for George Frederic and Mary Watts. Today, a few of the rooms are open and there is a small museum that explores their astonishing creative output – including the stunning alterpiece that Mary designed for the interior of the Cambridge Military Hospital Chapel in Aldershot, which was relocated here following the chapel’s closure in 1996.

Watts Cemetery Chapel

A short walk down the road brings you to the extraordinary mortuary chapel that Mary Watts created for the village. The Grade I-listed terracotta chapel was consecrated on the completion of the building in 1898 and the interior decoration was completed in 1906. The fusion of celtic, arts and crafts and art nouveau decoration is quite unlike anything I have seen anywhere – and absolutely jaw dropping. No picture can do this place justice.

Finally, we walked back up the road to the Watts Gallery and soaked up the stunning paintings of George Frederic Watts, including the original painting of Hope (1886) which was later recreated for a second version that today hangs in the Tate. The paintings are rather extraordinary and I went round a second time just to marvel over them all over again.

It’s hard now to believe that this building was at incredible risk not so many years ago, suffering from damp and with a rapidly deteriorating roof that let the rain through by the bucketful. I remember finding out about the gallery on BBC’s Restoration Village in 2006. Although it narrowly lost in the final, campaigners were able to raise £11m to save it. Thank goodness for that. I can’t recommend this trio of sights highly enough – such a feast for the eyes!

Gallery