Group visits

Book your group visit to Watts Gallery - Artists' Village, a unique Arts & Craft gem in the Surrey Hills.

Visit Watts Gallery to see remarkable paintings and sculptures by George Frederic Watts. Wander to the Grade I listed Watts Cemetery Chapel and take in the beautiful surroundings. Find out more about the lives of George and Mary Watts at Limnerslease, the artists' home and studios.

Three visitors walking outside gallery surrounded by gardens

Group booking benefits

  • Group rates start at £12.50 per person (minimum of 8 people)
  • 10% discount in our Shop
  • Private guided tours available (additional cost)
  • Free familiarisation visits for group leaders
  • Pre-booked catering options
  • All Blue Badge Guides bringing groups receive free admission when booked in advance

Payments will be taken two weeks in advance of your visit. Should your plans unavoidably change we are happy to reschedule your visit once payment is received.

More information

Group packages

Standard Group Admission

Includes:

  • Entry to Watts Gallery - Artists' Village
  • Self-guided visit

Price:

  • Standard group rate : £12.50 per person
  • Concessions rate: £6.75 per person

Group Admission plus tour

Includes:

  • Entry to Watts Gallery - Artists' Village
  • Choose one guided tour of your choice

Price:

  • Standard group rate: £18.50 per person
  • Concessions rate: £12.75 per person

Group admission plus two tours

Includes:

  • Entry to Watts Gallery - Artists' Village
  • Choose two guided tours of your choice

Price:

  • Standard group rate: £23 per person
  • Concessions rate: £18.75 per person

Groups pottery workshop

Includes:

  • Entry to Watts Gallery - Artists' Village
  • Self-guided visit
  • Pottery workshop of your choice

Price:

  • Standard group rate: £49 per person
  • Concessions rate: £44.75 per person

Add a Welcome Pack for £8.54

Welcome Packs for each group member are collected on arrival. Includes a Watts Gallery - Artists' Village guidebook and tote bag.


To be eligible for the group rate, groups must consist of eight people or more. If your group does not meet the criteria for the group rate you will be asked to pay standard admission.

To ensure that you have the best experience possible, we ask that you book with at least two weeks’ notice. As we host many events at Watts Gallery – Artists’ Village, we cannot guarantee your group entry if you have not booked in advance.

Concessions include Students and Under 25s, Art Fund members, Museums Association members and English Heritage members.

Please email or call 01483 813 589 our team for more information on all bookings.

Guided tours and workshops

We have five guided tours available as well as a choice of pottery workshops:

Watts Chapel tour * (75 minutes)

Explore the Grade I listed Arts & Crafts masterpiece, with unique interior decoration. Watts Chapel was created by Mary Watts and the local community of Compton. This is a rare chance to see a unique example of Art Nouveau and Celtic design. Please note that this is a seven minute walk from the Historic Galleries and involves a steep path up to the Chapel.

Artists' Village walking tour * (90 minutes)

Take a walking tour across the Artists’ Village to discover more about our historic architecture. You will visit Watts Gallery, Watts Cemetery Chapel and Limnerslease: Artists' Home. You will also see the Pottery Building, the former home of the Compton Potters’ Guild. Please wear comfortable shoes and appropriate outdoor clothing, as this is an outside tour. There are separate tours for the inside of these buildings.

Limnerslease: Artists' home tour (75 minutes)

Discover the Grade II listed Arts & Crafts home of George and Mary Watts. Learn more about the history of the building and see the original ceiling designed by Mary Watts. You will also hear about the artistic and literary guests who visited Limnerslease.

Mary Watts tour (90 minutes)

Celebrating Mary’s 175th anniversary, find out more about her artistic skills and drive, as well as her early life. Expert guides will show you her much loved ceilings at Limnerslease, the Pottery she established, now the Visitor Centre, and the community project that is the Watts Cemetery Chapel.

Watts Gallery tour (60 minutes)

Book one of our expert guides and delve into the history of our purpose-built Arts & Crafts Gallery. Uncover the life of the renowned-artist George Frederic Watts through his own remarkable paintings and sculptures.

Gallery tours are included with admission for the public on Wednesdays and Sundays. Find out more

Gardener's tour * (90 minutes)

Join Verey Head Gardener, Chris Sharples, to learn about the gardens and grounds of the estate. On this walking tour, Chris will point out what to look for each month and chat about the ongoing restoration of the grounds at Watts Gallery - Artists’ Village.

Pottery workshop (60 minutes)

Celebrating the heritage of the site and history of the Compton Pottery, book a workshop for your group to have a go at ceramics. Choose from a decorative tiles, candle holders or dishes and bowls workshop.


We also have free tours you can use as part of your visit:

Smartify

Discover the stories of Watts Gallery – Artists’ Village with our free audio tours.

The Smartify app is free to download, from Google Play and the App Store, to use in our gallery spaces. The app uses advanced image recognition technology via your smartphone to unlock extra information, including rarely seen images from our archives, specially created audio interviews, curatorial research and more of the inspirational stories behind our collection.

Current tours on Smartify include:

  • Highlights of the Historic Galleries
  • The Limnerslease House Tour
  • Family Favourites at Watts Gallery
  • Decoration or Devotion: William and Evelyn De Morgan


Whilst there is no limit to the group size, where possible we will try to ensure there is a maximum number of 15 people to each guide.

* Due to the landscape and historic nature of the site, there is limited wheelchair access to some parts of our site. Visit our Access page for more information. Please contact a member of our team for a full access statement, or if you have any concerns or queries.

Access

Watts Gallery, Limnerslease: Artists’ Home, Artist in Residence Studio, Shop and Tea Shop are accessible.

Due to the historic nature of our buildings, we regret that Watts Cemetery Chapel and Watts Contemporary Gallery are currently inaccessible for wheelchair users.

Please advise your group to wear comfortable shoes as Watts Gallery – Artists’ Village covers a large site.

Please let us know of any access needs for your group when booking.

Visit our Access page for more information