NEWLANDS HOUSE GALLERY
WEBSITE: NEWLANDSHOUSE.GALLERY
LOCATION: PETWORTH, SUSSEX, UK
NEAREST AIRPORT: LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT, 40 MINUTES DRIVE
Installation view of Frank Auerbach : Unseen. Photo: Elizabeth Zeschin
Nestled in the Sussex countryside is Petworth, a small, cobbled village with crooked small houses and a lot of fresh air. It is perhaps the last place you would imagine finding contemporary art, but over at Newlands House Gallery, that is exactly what you will find. For the quintessential day trip from London, without having to compromise on culture, visit the gallery as well as the whole village which includes the stately Petworth House whose stunning art collection rivals that of the National Gallery.
Installation view: Joan Miró La Gran Belleza. Photo: Elizabeth Zeschin
Newlands House Gallery is a Georgian house and 17th-century barn converted into an exhibition space. It is larger than you might think and full of original features like fireplaces, decorative cornices, and chandeliers so the exhibitions feel like walking through a home more than visiting a white-walled museum. This means that every exhibition has a really intimate feel to it, and visitors can experience the art in a much more focused way. The big draw here though is the museum-quality exhibitions usually reserved for the big spaces in London.
There have been shows by Joan Miró, Sean Scully and Liliane Tomasko, Julian Opie, Frank Auerbach, and Lee Miller & Picasso, to name a few. It is a really great way to see art away from the maddening crowds of London. You can wind your way through the creaky floored galleries, learning all about the artists on view, and really take your time absorbing the work. The gallery has a great cafe where you can grab lunch after your visit, and before you head down to Petworth House for a stroll through the galleries to admire their Turners and Gainsboroughs.
Installation view of Sean Scully & Liliane Tomasko: From the Real. Photo: Elizabeth Zeschin
The village itself is also a splendid place to mince through with fun antique stores, junk shops, and boutiques. For a more substantial lunch than what the gallery cafe can offer, head to The Angel Inn, a historic coach house serving traditional British food with an international twist. It is also a lovely place to spoil yourself and stay overnight if you wanted to make a weekend out of it.
Newlands House Gallery opened in 2019, just before the pandemic and though it is new, it has already been voted as the place to visit by The FT, The Times, and more. It is what makes Petworth really special and distinguishes it from neighboring villages. This has been a tricky entry for me to write because I am also the artistic director of Newlands House Gallery, responsible for curating its exhibitions. I have hugely enjoyed working with the architecture and space at Newlands House, which at times has been challenging, not least for the narrow access points for some of the galleries on the top floor. But I have always tried to put together something special: a new perspective on those famous names.
Left: Petworth House, Right: Lombard Street, Petworth
I have included some links to what the critics have said below. It is the most unbiased thing I can think of doing.
The Financial Times: Travel Discoveries 2021 by Clare Wrathall
The Guardian. Frank Auerbach: Unseen. *****5 stars review by Jonathan Jones
The Times. Lee Miller & Picasso. ****4 stars review by Laura Freeman
The Times. Frank Auerbach: Unseen. ***4 stars review by Rachel Campbell-Johnston
Left: Entrance to Newlands House Gallery. Right: Installation view of Lee Miller & Picasso. Photos: Elizabeth Zeschin
