About the Museum

Goddards is a Grade II*-listed house in Abinger Common, Surrey, England, completed in 1900. It was designed by Edwin Lutyens in the ideals of the Arts and Crafts movement and the west-facing courtyard garden was designed by Gertrude Jekyll. The house uses local building materials, including Horsham stone tiles, and the two wings are splayed at an angle towards the late-afternoon sun. The design is influenced by vernacular hall houses and almshouses, as well as the architectural ideas of the late-19th century and the Tudor period. Originally built for Frederick Mirrielees, whose fortune came from shipping, "as a home of rest to which ladies of small means might repair for holiday", Goddards was configured as two cottages linked by a common room. Original features include the skittle alley, and the exposed timber beams and fireplace in the common room. In 1910, Lutyens extended the building and adapted it as a private residence for Mirrielees' son and daughter-in-law. The modifications included the provision of two large bedrooms, bathrooms, a library and a dining room. The couple never permanently moved to Goddards and, in 1914, the house was leased to Arthur Gibbs, who purchased it outright in 1925. Goddards was awarded grade II* listed building status in February 1972. The house was donated to the Lutyens Trust in 1991, which continues to occupy the library. Most of the building has been leased by the Landmark Trust since 1996. A restoration project took place in the 1990s and Goddards is open to visitors by prior arrangement.