Red Room
This room was originally Merton’s bedroom. Merton and Annie had separate but interconnected bedrooms with single beds. This was a common practice amongst middle-class Victorian couples. The ceiling mural depicts the birth of the Roman goddess, Venus, and was intended to be viewed whilst lying in bed. A fretwork screen separated the room, creating a sitting area in the bay window, giving views across the Bay from Old Harry Rocks on the Isle of Purbeck to the Needles on the Isle of Wight. The bedrooms were extensively remodelled after the couple’s deaths, in preparation for opening the house as a museum. This included the removal of the screens and fireplaces. There are no photographs of the room as it used to look, so we have filled it with some of Merton’s favourite paintings and objects. Photographs of the Royal Bath Hotel show that the couple slept surrounded by their collection. Explore artwork currently on display in the Red Room.
