The sun was out and with the weather getting back to normal Spring temperatures at the weekend I decided to make the most of it. The gallery is only 3.5 mile cycle away so I hopped on Coco and had a leisurely cycle over through the Surrey countryside.
Watts Gallery recently went under a major refurbishment and I have been meaning to visit for a while now. The original gallery space has been returned to its former glory with additional galleries subtly created in existing space to house George Frederic Watt's (a very famous Victorian artist) paintings and sculptures.
Watts and his wife (an artist herself) were both philanthropists and passionate about the arts and crafts ethos. They commissioned a relatively unknown architect, Christopher Hatton Turner, to create a gallery to hold Watt's work, in the arts and crafts style. After her husbands death only a few years later in 1904, Mary went on to found Compton Potters' Arts Guild with the intention of providing work for the local people and encouraging creativity.
Mary also designed the nearby Chapel but I decided to save this for a return visit with i am cheapskate.
I couldn't resist stopping at the Withies Inn for a sneaky half (or two) on my way home.
Now for a nap.
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