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The House
A home filled with art, craft, and character
Discover Winterbourne House, one of Birmingham’s most cherished museums. Nestled in the heart of the West Midlands, this Arts and Crafts gem invites you to step back in time and explore the beauty, history, and stories of a family home that shaped an era.
Inspired by nature
Designed and built during the Arts and Crafts movement, Winterbourne is a beautiful home museum in Birmingham. As you approach, be sure to look out for the wavy roof and ornamental brick detailing, both of which were deliberate design choices to make the house look older. As you wander the hallways, look towards the intricate plasterwork, which weave nature-inspired designs, and the beautiful William Morris wallpaper, an iconic feature in any Arts and Crafts home.
A family full of love
Inspired by photographs of the family and what we know about their middle-class lifestyle, Winterbourne’s rooms are dressed in the style that the Nettlefold family would be familiar with. From little John Nettlefold’s own toys, displayed in the nursery, to the magnificent portrait of Margaret Nettlefold which hangs at the end of the hallway, step back in time and feel the warmth and spirit of their family home.
Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds: Treasures from the Archive
Winterbourne’s strong links with Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds (GKN) are proudly celebrated in our permanent exhibition space on the first floor of the house, ‘Treasures from the Archive’. Explore GKN’s role in the industrial development of the West Midlands, producing the nuts, bolts, screws which made car and plane manufacture possible at the start of the 20th century.
Stand and Stare
Celebrating Winterbourne’s Arts and Crafts heritage and our ongoing commitment to supporting community arts, the top floor of the house showcases art exhibitions from artists within our community. Our current exhibition, ‘Stand and Stare’, features artworks inspired by our own house and garden by artists Kate Gallimore, Juliet May and Richard Coyle.
University of Birmingham Herbarium
Winterbourne is now home to this collection of dried plant specimens, preserved and classified for study and research. The Herbarium, dating back to the early 1900s, holds tens of thousands of specimens and related archival material. Visitors can explore its permanent exhibition, ‘The Dry Garden: Treasures from the University Herbarium’ or arrange research visits via our contact form.
Accredited Museum
We are pleased to be an Accredited Museum, meaning that we collect, care for and share objects on behalf of the public. We are committed to continual investment in our collections to ensure that our visitors are inspired by, learn from and enjoy them for generations to come.
