Watts Gallery

Watts Gallery is in Compton, Surrey. G F Watts and his wife Mary built the Gallery by their house and workshop/studio in Compton, using local people and materials. The building was to house G F Watts art and also that of his contemporaries and was inspired by his friend, Frederick Leighton;s Gallery in his house in Kensington. Although Watts, himself only lived a few months after it was open, his wife continued working and exhibiting there, employing local people to help her in her kiln and with her pottery in a charitable way, keeping them from the streets.
Gradually, the Gallery had fallen into disrepair and threaten the works of art on display, so much so that the trustees decided drastic action was required. A Heritage Lottery grant was applied for and they were successful in being awarded one. Other donors were found and with this money they were able to put an ambition programme of renovation in motion.


In May 2011, they invited HRH The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall to open the newly renovated Gallery. It is a beautiful light and airy place with loads of display space for paintings as well as a sculpture gallery downstairs. Here are plaster casts and sculpture that Watts made including a huge plaster model of an equestrian sculpture as well as Tennyson's statue that can be found in Lincoln Cathedral.
Attached to the Gallery is Mary Watts pottery which has become the ticket office and gift shop; and an excellent cafe, The Tea Shop, that serves wonderful refreshments. There is a new project afoot to raise money to acquire and renovate the Watts' home, Limnerslease. They hope to win The Art Fund Prize 2012, which would go a long way to achieving this.

Just down the road, you pass it on your way up to the Gallery, is the Watts Chapel. This was created by Mary Watts and her fellow potters when G F Watts died. It is an amazing Arts and Crafts building, highly decorated in terracotta on the outside and richly painted on the inside. It is a must to visit when you are visiting the Gallery.






Watts Gallery
Watts Chapel
G F Watts
Mary Watts
The Art Fund Prize 2012
Compton
Frederick Leighton
Leighton House