Art Deco, Travels

Art Deco buildings in Long Eaton

On Saturday, 13 September I’m doing the second of my Nottingham Art Deco architecture tours for Art Deco Society UK. As I write, there are just 3 tickets remaining. I’d recommend joining ADSUK if you love all things Deco, and you will receive a discount on their events.

Nottingham: Art Deco in the Details, 2 pm, Saturday 13, September 2025. 

Since I’ve followed up my interest in Art Deco architecture, I’ve been looking for it everywhere I go. After taking note of Long Eaton’s Fothergill building, we headed to the other end of the High Street to find the former Burton shop. If you’ve been on any of my Art Deco walks in Nottingham, you’ll know that I am a bit obsessed with the shops built by Montague Burton The Tailor of Taste. The one in Long Eaton was opened in 1935 in a hail of hyperbolic publicity. 

The Long Eaton Advertiser, Friday, December 6, 1935 waxed lyrical about the “mammoth building” which “stands like a crystal palace, glistening in the sunshine and adding dignity to Long Eaton’s shopping centre.”

“Montague Burton buildings are easily recognisable throughout the country by the originality and beauty of their design, but now the palace is stamped and sealed with Neon Sign Lettering, telling the world that it belongs to Montague Burton, Ltd.”

Burton Long Eaton, 1935. British Newspaper Archive.

“A magnificent structure, noble in conception, graceful in design, and occupying a prominent position in the centre of town. Impressive in appearance, and commanding the admiration of the general public, this triumph of the building profession should form an enduring monument to the vision and enterprise of Montague Burton, whose ever-increasing chain of tailoring establishments throughout Great Britain and Ireland forms one of the most interesting romances of trade.”

“The building and its two lofty storeys, with stately columns rising to the top, and crowned with a massive pediment bearing the firm’s name, which at night is illuminated, suggests solidity of construction enhanced by artistic ensemble.”

You get the gist… this was a showpiece of the Burton empire, so much so that not only did it feature The Chain of Merit Windows but also five foundation stones with the names of members of the Burton family. 

However, these days, since Burton closed down in 2021, the shop is not in a great state. It’s currently on the market, and it retains part of its original shop front. So we had a close look…

Former Burton shop, High Street, Long Eaton (2025). (Photo: Lucy Brouwer)
Montague Burton The Tailor of Taste, Long Eaton (Photo: Lucy Brouwer)

Foundation stones laid by Lady Montague Burton (Sophie Amelia Marks Burton (1887-1957) born Worksop, wife of Montague Maurice Burton (1885-1952) (born Meshe David Osinsky, in Lithuania). Their twin sons, Raymond Montague Burton and Stanley Howard Burton (stone covered), their younger son Arnold James Burton, and Austin Stephen Burton (a nephew or cousin or possibly an infant grandchild at the time?).

An original Burton grate at street level. (Photo: Lucy Brouwer)
Curved plate glass windows on the side of the shop were most recently in use as a Burton. (Photo: Lucy Brouwer)

Upstairs, a snooker club – I wonder if this was the original use, as often Burton’s upstairs floors were used for billiard rooms.

It would be wonderful if this shop could regain some of its former glory. Fingers crossed. 

Back at the Market Place, another building caught my eye, The Oxford pub, this had the words “Therm House” on the parapet. I immediately guessed it must have been a gas showroom, lo and behold, I was right.

Therm House, High Street, Long Eaton (Now The Oxford). (Photo: Lucy Brouwer)

Therm House was announced in November 1938 in the Long Eaton Advertiser:

“A building which will add dignity to the Long Eaton Market Place will be “Therm House,” which Messrs F. Perks and Son will commence erecting within the next few days. The Long Eaton Gas Company have certainly planned through Mr. J E. Dodd, the well-known architect, attractive and commodious premises which will occupy the site… On the ground floor there will be showrooms and offices. The first floor provides for a demonstration room to accommodate 300 people, along with a projector room and accommodation for a cafe.”

Indeed, the Oxford Cafe was in the building for a period (and the name remains today on the pub). 

“Therm House” will radiate “light and power” in the old market.”

Mr Therm was an anthropomorphic flame character used by Gas companies in the UK to advertise the convenience of their power and household appliances, appearing from the early 1930s to around the 1960s. The Mr Therm logo was originally at the top of the building between the two words on the parapet.

Mr Therm even had his own swinging theme song…”Meet Mr Therm”. With some choice lyrics:

“Meet Mr Therm, he’ll make your life more easy and very much less greasy, so meet Mr Therm…”

Mr Therm, in the guise of Sherlock Therm, appeared in a series of adverts in the press in the 1930s. British Newspaper Archive.

Finally, for now, Long Eaton has recently lost its Art Deco Cinema. This is all that’s left of the Galaxy Cinema on Derby Road, Long Eaton.

Site where The Galaxy Cinema once stood, Derby Road, Long Eaton. (Photo: Lucy Brouwer/ Louise Hunter)

There will be a few more interesting buildings in Long Eaton in the next post. Until then, if you’d like to find out more about Art Deco Architecture and the buildings of the 1930s, join me for a tour of Nottingham for Art Deco Society UK on Saturday, 13 September, 2 pm.

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Research, Travels

A Visit to Wightwick Manor & The De Morgan Foundation

Today (16th November) marks the anniversary of the birth in 1839 of the artist William De Morgan.

William De Morgan portrait by Evelyn De Morgan and De Morgan shop sign in tiles at De Morgan Foundation, Wightwick Manor (better image at NPG) Photo: Lucy Brouwer

De Morgan was a lifelong friend of William Morris, a potter who designed tiles, stained glass and furniture for Morris and Co. I have wanted to visit the wide-ranging collection of his work and the work of his wife, artist Evelyn De Morgan at Wightwick Manor, near Wolverhampton for some time and last weekend I had the chance to see the house and its fantastic contents.

Image of Wightwick Manor Wikimedia Commons Rick Massey


The house itself is something of a trickster, built by architect Edward Ould for Theodore Mander in two parts in 1887 and 1892 in an Old English style with timber framing, red brick and tile hanging it looks like a carefully restored medieval building but it is not all it seems. On closer inspection the house is almost too good to be true – the timbers and patterns are a front and don’t reflect the construction of the place at all. There is a long process of restoration taking place and scaffolding was up when I visited, the untreated timbers are gradually being replaced and the illusion is being upheld.

Entrance to Wightwick Manor under restoration. I think Fothergill would have liked the faux-medieval tower… Photo: Lucy Brouwer
Tile hanging and timber at Wightwick Manor. Photo: Lucy Brouwer
Timbers full of detail at Wightwick Manor. Photo: Lucy Brouwer


The Mander family who made their fortune in paint and varnish later turned to local politics. They wanted period details for their home, and it was comfortably furnished with attention to craftsmanship and artistic interest. Stained glass by Charles Eamer Kempe (see previous blog on Lichfield Cathedral), wallpapers and rugs by William Morris, the house is a great example of late Victorian taste. I imagine that the lush textures and busy walls resemble to some extent what Fothergill’s house at 7 Mapperley Road in Nottingham might have looked like. Art, porcelain and glass but set off with electric lights. Carefully chosen objects and medieval themes dominate.

Four seasons stained glass by Charles Kempe at Wightwick Manor. Photo: Lucy Brouwer
William De Morgan plate. Bold colour and strong shapes. Photo: Lucy Brouwer


In the 20th century, Geoffrey Mander and his wife Rosalie gave Wightwick to the National Trust but continued to live there and collect Pre-Raphaelite art, William Morris designs and the pottery of William De Morgan. The house also contains paintings by Evelyn De Morgan – a painter whose skills and contribution to this colourful style are enjoying closer attention in the 21st century.

Evelyn De Morgan’s colours were fantastic but I also really liked this Study of a head. Better photos of some of the work here


The De Morgan Foundation – set up by Evelyn’s sister the redoubtable Wilhelmina Stirling – houses some of both artists’ work in the coach house on the site. The lustreware tiles and bowls made by William are startlingly modern and bright, Evelyn’s drawing and painting to my mind sometimes even finer than that of the more celebrated Edward Burne Jones.

A couple of people I’ve met who live in Fothergill houses have mentioned that they have tiles that might be De Morgan or at least inspired by his style. I love these galleons that were in the medieval hall at Wightwick Manor. Photo: Lucy Brouwer

Next on my list of places to visit – Cannon Hall near Barnsley where more of William and Evelyn De Morgan’s work is housed.

Influences, Research, Travels

Lichfield Cathedral

In June, I visited Lichfield and called in at the Cathedral – the relevance to this project being that such a visit was a massive inspiration to Fothergill Watson when he was a trainee architect.

Lichfield Cathedral front. Photo: Lucy Brouwer

Whilst working in Frederick Jackson’s office in Nottingham, Fothergill visited many buildings of architectural interest in England including Lichfield Cathedral in 1858. It was this visit to the Cathedral which really fired his enthusiasm for his chosen career, architecture. This can be seen from an entry in the Family Records, “my enthusiastic love for Gothic architecture began, a love which has grown with the years. So did it stir my zeal for architecture as a profession that I commenced to work as I had never done before, and left no stone unturned in my endeavours to thoroughly master my profession.”

Lichfield Cathedral front, detail. Photo: Lucy Brouwer

In November 1903, Fothergill re-visited Lichfield Cathedral which had been the inspiration for his ambition to follow a career as an architect. He noted that it was 42 years since he last visited the Cathedral: “what a jewel among Cathedrals”. (Information from the Fothergill Watson Family Record extracted from Denis S. Kilner, PhD Thesis – Watson Fothergill: A Victorian Architect, University of Nottingham, 1978. Copy at Nottinghamshire Archives).

During my visit I spotted a stained glass window that depicts builders and architects. The Hackett Window, by Charles Eamer Kempe c. 1901 shows Bishop John Hackett (1661-70) poring over plans for the rebuilding of his cathedral which had been ‘overthrown by violent and wicked hands’ during the Civil War. (Lichfield Cathedral, A Journey of Discovery by Jonathan Foyle)

Perhaps Fothergill saw this window on his second visit in 1903? He certainly remembered the sculptural figures when he was designing his office on George Street, Nottingham!

Statues on Cathedral front, Lichfield. Photo: Lucy Brouwer
Gargoyle at Lichfield Cathedral. Photo: Lucy Brouwer
Statuary on Fothergill’s George Street office, Nottingham. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

Learn more about Fothergill’s buildings and his influences by joining The Watson Fothergill Walk, the next available date is Sunday 6 August, 2023, 10 am. Tickets here or book a private walk for your group.

Travels

A Wander Around York

Took a day to go to York, principally to visit York Art Gallery’s Ruskin, Turner & The Storm Cloud exhibition after reading Suzanne Fagence Cooper’s excellent summary of the work of John Ruskin: To See Clearly.

York Art Gallery – well worth a visit (photo: Lucy Brouwer)

2019 marks 200 years since the birth of Ruskin, this exhibition looks at his way of seeing the world through drawing and writing about what he could see and how that made him appreciate the qualities of landscape, weather, buildings and artworks.

His thoughts on looking at nature, art and buildings were very influential in their day, both Watson Fothergill and Thomas Chambers Hine would have been aware of his writings on architecture and must surely have read The Stones of Venice, which shaped how Gothic architecture was seen in the 19th century. (Hine even had Ruskin’s autograph in his scrapbook.)

In the spirit of Ruskin, I have been encouraging people to “look up” and to notice the buildings that they might otherwise miss, with particular focus on the Victorian architecture in Nottingham. Since learning more about the Gothic Revivial and influences on Fothergill’s work, I find myself noticing buildings and spotting the style when out and about, thus it was in York.

York Magistrates Court, Clifford Street, York. (Photo: Lucy Brouwer)

Spotting these towers on the skyline I ventured to investigate. This is the York Magistrates Court (1890-92).

York Institute, Clifford Street, York (Photo: Lucy Brouwer)

Next door, York Institute (1883-85), mixing Gothic Revival with an eastern influence.

I particularly liked these faintly byzantine kiosk finials. (Photo: Lucy Brouwer)

Barclays Bank, (1901) had some really striking terracotta with the colour marvellously preserved.

A little further on, came upon Barclays bank with some fantastic terracotta work. (Photo: Lucy Brouwer)

To shelter from the rain, we popped into the Merchant Adventurer’s Hall, a timber framed medieval hall, now a museum.

Merchant Adventurers’ Hall (Photo: Lucy Brouwer)

When we reached York Art Gallery, to a look round the Ruskin, Turner & The Storm Cloud exhibition, I was delighted to find that Annie Creswick Dawson’s book about Benjamin Creswick (blogs passim) was on sale in the shop.

I was particularly struck by this quote from John Ruskin, which can be applied as much to myself as to Medieval stonemasons! (Photo: Lucy Brouwer
York Minster from York Art Gallery. (Photo: Lucy Brouwer)
York station, built on a curve. (Photo: Lucy Brouwer)

The more you start to look, the more you see the shapes of nature, the wonders of engineering and the beauty in the details.