Lawrence G Summers, Watson Fothergill in Nottingham

Inside Watson Fothergill’s Office part two

Having studied the building from the outside, the chance to have a look around inside the Offices of Watson Fothergill on George Street, Nottingham was too good to resist. Many thanks to Sarah Julian of BBC Radio Nottingham for giving me the opportunity and to the Bragas for letting me take a few quick photos and letting me talk to them about the building.

Following on from my previous blog about getting through the door to find a quote from Geoffrey Chaucer, here we go up stairs to find the offices that have been turned into a two bedroom flat.

A screen grab of the listing for rent.

Fothergill built his office on George Street in 1894-5 after having to vacate his previous set up on Clinton Street when the railway came through. Typically, he had been prepared for the move and bought the site on George Street. He demolished the previous building in readiness for building his office. Aged 54 at the time, he was a confident and mature architect, his office serves as a three dimensional portfolio, and a lot of his later work around Nottingham seems to have followed on from this construction. It demonstrates his capabilites to his wealthy Nottingham clients and showed them the quality to which his creations aspired.

Up to the first floor and I noticed a familiar name on the door! (Photo: Lucy Brouwer)

I managed to grab a few photos, but as well as being rather overwhelmed I was also talking to Sarah for the radio piece, so forgive the rather snatched images! Up on the first floor, the first thing that caught my eye was the nameplates on the internal doors. The larger of the two rooms bore the initials L.G. Summers (Fothergill’s assistant, co-architect but never partner, in the practice Lawrence George Summers who will be familiar to readers of this blog.)

On the other door, a suitably Gothic name plate. (Photo: Lucy Brouwer)

The owners pointed out that the door with Fothergill’s name on lead to the smaller of the two rooms, they deduced that this was so that, in a building heated by coal fires, the boss would have the warmer office. It is also the office on the turret side of the building.

The fireplace in Fothergill’s office looks likely to be original. Nice Gothic ballflower detail. (Photo: Lucy Brouwer)
The niche above Fothergill’s fireplace has some Gothic touches surviving and the ceiling was panelled. We weren’t sure about all the wallpaper! (Photo: Lucy Brouwer)

There was a sense in the room that it would have made a cosy place to work, there was a connecting door through to Summers’ office and then the landing between them and the small waiting room that has been extended into a modern kitchen.

Fireplace and parquet flooring in what would have been the small waiting room area at the back. (Photo: Lucy Brouwer)
Summers’ office has been turned into the lounge of the flat. This is the larger room at the front on the first floor. The fireplace was off-centre and we couldn’t agree if this was an original feature. (Photo: Lucy Brouwer)
The view out the back window of the cottages in Brewitt’s yard. The one closest on the left has been incorporated into the building to make the kitchen and bathroom. (Photo: Lucy Brouwer)
The landing window contained some more coloured glass and what seems to be a quote from ‘The Life of Christ’ by Frederick Farrar (1874) perhaps a book that Fothergill, who had his religious moments, had read and taken to heart? (Photo: Lucy Brouwer)
The staircase up to the second floor. No one seemed to know what the statue represents; it was left by the previous owner. The niche suggests there has always been some art there but was it this? Anyone know who the chap with the bells is? (Photo: Lucy Brouwer)
The room in the turret, you can just see a panel in the ceiling which would have allowed you to look up into the workings and see the herringbone structure. It was currently full of insulation, but perhaps imagine Fothergill showing clients the quality of the woodwork inside his tower! (Photo: Lucy Brouwer)
The door to the other room upstairs, the owner had been staying there so I didn’t get a picture of inside! Presumably Fothergill’s apprentices and assistants worked upstairs. They had a fireplace in every room. (Photo: Lucy Brouwer)
In the little room that had been made into the toilet, was this tiny window. The owners removed a pulley system that seems to have been for hauling bags of coal up to the top floor in order to heat the offices. (Photo: Lucy Brouwer)

It was tricky to get more photos and talk at the same time so there’s just a flavour of what the building was like inside and we didn’t get time to look in the shop downstairs or further into the yard.

The conversion seems to be sympathetic – the building was used as a solicitors office prior to being sold (at least twice) so it had been disused for quite sometime. The quality of the workmanship on the repairs is first rate. It was mentioned that Fothergill had made a sturdy structure with a stone or concrete foundation – without which, the damage that was inflicted in 2015 might have destroyed the front of the building. Bonsers have written about the restoration they carried out on their website.

I will be running more Watson Fothergill guided walks into July and August – you can find dates and details via my Eventbrite page where you can book tickets. Private tours can be arranged – get in touch with Lucy via the contact page.

Watson Fothergill in Nottingham

Inside Watson Fothergill’s Office: Part One

Thanks to Sarah Julian from BBC Radio Nottingham (who had previously been on one of my Watson Fothergill Walks) I recently got the chance to go inside Watson Fothergill’s office building on George Street, Nottingham.

Fothergill’s Office at 15 George Street, with the shop built in at 17, plus the doorway to Brewitt’s Yard. (Photo: Lucy Brouwer)

The current owners have completed the project to turn the building into a residence – making the top two floors that were once home to Fothergill and his team into a two bedroom flat with a kitchen and bathroom reclaimed out of the space that was once part of the cottages that sit at the rear of the building in Brewitt’s Yard. The flat had been on the market and we saw our chance to have a look inside and report for BBC Radio Nottingham on our findings!

Through the door and inside! (Photo: Lucy Brouwer)

The first thing we noticed was the fantastic condition of the tiles inside the vestibule…and then I looked up and saw the carvings!

Inner door with leaded glass and terracotta tiles in hallway.
Tiles around the vestibule in lovely condition. Sunflowers and Gothic motifs. (Photo: Lucy Brouwer)
Above the door, I was able to decipher some writing… (Photo: Lucy Brouwer)
… I thought it looked like it might be something like William Morris’s motto: “Ars Longa, Vita Brevis” (Art lasts but life is short)…(Photo: Lucy Brouwer)
…but then I realised I couldn’t quite read the letters because it was in Middle English. One quick search on my phone later…(Photo: Lucy Brouwer)
…and I realised it was a quote from Chaucer’s The Parliament of Birds, which Fothergill has applied to the craft of architecture. (Photo: Lucy Brouwer)

Above the door I was able to decipher some writing but it was tricky to see with the automatic light that had been added. It looked quite Gothic and that immediately made me excited because it fitted in with what you might expect Fothergill to have in his building. The carving was in great condition, being inside, but it was really hard to read. At first I thought it might say something along the lines of Ars Longa, Vita Brevis (William Morris’s motto – Art lasts but life is short) which would be appropriate for Fothergill, who would have been familiar with Morris’s work and ideas to some extent. But when I looked closer I realised the reason I couldn’t quite read the text was that it was in Middle English! That A-Level where I read the Prologue to the Canterbury Tales was at last coming in handy. A quick bit of Googling on my phone and all was revealed. This was a few lines from Chaucer – not ones I knew but once I’d worked them out they made sense:

The lyf so short, the craft so longe to lerne.
Th’ assay so hard, so sharp the conquerynge,

Geoffrey Chaucer : The Parlement of Foules

Something of a fan of all things medieval, of course Fothergill would have something like this, relevant to his trade – to learning crafts and making an effort – above his door to read every time he came in or out.

Sarah Julian interviewing Mr Braga (the present owner’s Father)( Photo: Lucy Brouwer)

Of course these details hadn’t featured on the estate agent’s photos (the property was up for rent, hence Sarah was able to get access) so I was really quite excited… I’d already seen some of the restoration work done on the tiled floor thanks to this blog from the Tile Doctor who carried out the work, but that had just been a tantalising glimpse of what lay ahead. The interior retains a lot of the details that might be expected of a building with such a flamboyant exterior. Colourful Gothic -inspired stained glass in the hall for instance.

Through the door and inside to see more of Fothergill’s details. (Photo: Lucy Brouwer)

Another instalment coming up… I’ll share photos of the interior as the office is converted into a flat (now let) and piece together a little about how Fothergill might have worked in the building.

Listen out to BBC Radio Nottingham as the interview should be on Sarah’s morning show sometime this week…

Events, Watson Fothergill in Nottingham

Dates for July 2019

July sees the 178th anniversary of Fothergill’s birth, so it seems fitting to offer more chances to explore his Nottingham buildings on The Watson Fothergill Walk.

The next dates will be two walks on 21 July 2019:

Join Lucy to explore Watson Fothergill’s Nottingham, includes tea or coffee and cake at Debbie Bryan. Tickets here.

The first will be in the afternoon at 2pm, ending at Debbie Bryan with drinks and cake. Tickets here.

The evening walk will finish at Fothergill’s pub. Tickets here.

The second will be an evening walk, to finish at Fothergill’s pub. Tickets available here.

(Watson Fothergill’s birthday is actually 12th July but I can’t do a walk that day!)

If you can’t make either of these but are still interested in joining the guided tour you can either arrange a private walk for you and your group (minimum 6, maximum 20 people) contact Lucy for details. Or sign up to the mailing list to get the latest dates sent to your inbox.

Events, Watson Fothergill in Nottingham

Demolished Fothergill Buildings: The Black Boy Hotel

One of the best known building associated with Watson Fothergill in Nottingham is one that is no longer standing, The Black Boy Hotel on Long Row, which was demolished in 1970. As a few folks on the Watson Fothergill Walk have asked for pictures, I thought I’d collect together some images and thoughts on the building here.

Fothergill worked on The Black Boy Hotel throughout his career, beginning with buildings in the yard to the rear in 1869, while he was still in the employ of Issac Gilbert. The land on which the hotel was built belonged to the Brunts’ Charity. Fothergill’s association with the Black Boy would last until his retirement as the charity’s surveyor in 1910. In 1874 Fothergill worked on a carriage house or stock room, again in the yard.

The Black Boy Hotel before the central tower was built in the 1890s. Nottingham Post.

In 1878 he rebuilt part of the premises on the eastern side of the yard (Jessops shop), these were in turn demolished in 1897 when the hotel was reconstructed and Fothergill built a large department store for Jessops on King Street. In 1886 there was a more major rebuilding of the Long Row frontage and shops, as the top part of the old building had become uninhabitable. Fothergill opted to rebuild rather than restore the 200 year old building, planning 5 floors.

In 1892 he rebuilt the back wing of this part of the hotel adding a bar, a luggage room, a smoking room, a billiard room and 13 more bedrooms. The first major project to witness the reversal of Fothergill’s name to Watson Fothergill was an additional story on the stable block in 1893.

Plans for the extension and Tower circa 1898-9. More pictures via Nottstalgia Forum.

Finally, the last major addition to the bulding was in 1897 when balconies and bay windows as well as the tower were added. (See Darren Turner, Fothergill: A Catalogue of the Works of Watson Fothergill, Architect for more details.)

Advert for the Black Boy Hotel circa 1950s.
Model of the Black Boy Hotel from Richard Upton’s exhibition, The Black Boy Hotel: Gone But Not Forgotten, at the Nottingham Industrial Museum. (Photo: Lucy Brouwer).
Back view of the model, showing many additions and alterations. (Photo: Lucy Brouwer.)

Find out more about The Black Boy Hotel and the buildings of Watson Fothergill that are still standing in Nottingham on The Watson Fothergill Walk, tickets available for 12 June, 6pm and 30 June, 1pm.

Events, Watson Fothergill in Nottingham

BBC Radio Nottingham

I (Lucy Brouwer) was invited on to BBC Radio Nottingham to talk about the Watson Fothergill Walk to DJ Dean Jackson (standing in for Alan Clifford) on the afternoon show and you can listen again here at about 3:08 (after Cher!).

I talked about Watson Fothergill’s office, the Gothic Revival, and what to expect on the Watson Fothergill Walk…

Detail of Benjamin Creswick’s Terracotta Panel on 15 & 17 George Street, Nottingham.

The latest dates for my walks can be found here on Eventbrite.

Events, Watson Fothergill in Nottingham

Dates for June 2019

More dates for my walks are now booking as follows:

The Hine Hike, an evening walk exploring some of the Nottingham buildings of the Victorian architect Thomas Chambers Hine, will take place on Wednesday 5th June 2019, starting at 6pm. Tickets are £12, available here.

The Hine Hike: 5 June 2019, tickets here.

There will be another chance to join me for The Watson Fothergill Walk on Wednesday 12th June 2019, starting at 6pm. On this walk we will see some of Nottingham’s most striking Victorian buildings, designed by the architect Watson Fothergill (a.k.a. Fothergill Watson). Tickets are £12, available here.

Watson Fothergill Walk Evening Edition: 12 June 2019, tickets here.

The next opportunity to join me for the Debbie Bryan Edition of the Watson Fothergill Walk (including drinks and cake) will be 30th June 2019, 1pm. Tickets are £12 and can be found on Eventbrite: here.

30 June 2019: Afternoon walk, tickets here.

All those dates are in one place on Eventbrite here.

Tickets for my talk on Watson Fothergill and Thomas Cecil Howitt (architect of Nottingham’s Council House) at Nottinghamshire Archives, 10 May, 2019 2.30pm are available here.

My talk on TC Hine at West Bridgford Library on 25 June 2019 is now sold out. If you would like me to talk to your group about Watson Fothergill or TC Hine (similar format to the walking tours, but with photos and without the walking!) then please get in touch.

I am also available to take small parties (between 6 and 20 people) on walks to suit your group. Interested? Email me to discuss your needs.

Lucy on Broadway! Photo: Stavros Pouricas


Events, Watson Fothergill in Nottingham

New Evening Walk, 16 May 2019

As the walks have been selling out (thanks everyone!) I’ve added a new date for the evening edition of the Watson Fothergill Walk. This one will begin at 6pm on 16 May 2019. Tickets are available here.

Tickets available here.

Join me to explore the distinctive buildings of this most singular Nottingham architect. The walk starts at Nottingham Tourism Office by the Council House and concludes at Fothergill’s pub, itself one of Watson Fothergill’s buildings, by Nottingham Castle. Tickets are £12.

A couple of tickets left for The Hine Hike.

There are still just one ticket left for The Hine Hike on 14 April, starting at 10am. Join me to discover some of the Nottingham buildings of architect Thomas Chambers Hine.Tickets are £12 and include a drink and a cake at Debbie Bryan at the conclusion of the walk (approx 2 hours).

I’m giving a talk about Fothergill and Thomas Cecil Howitt, architect of The Council House. Tickets £5

Finally, Nottinghamshire Archives have invited me to talk about Watson Fothergill and another great Nottingham architect, Thomas Cecil Howitt on 10 May at 2.30pm. I will be looking at Fothergill’s buildings that are close to Slab Square and also The Council House and Exchange, which celebrates its 90th birthday, having opened on 22 May 1929. Tickets are £5 and include an opportunity to examine archive materials relating to both architects.

Can’t make any of these dates but still interested? Sign up for my mailing list to receive news of new walk dates as soon as they are confirmed.

Events, T Cecil Howitt, talk, Watson Fothergill in Nottingham

Watson Fothergill and Thomas Cecil Howitt: Nottinghamshire Archives

Nottinghamshire Archives Talk

I’ve been asked to give a talk at Nottinghamshire Archives. To mark 90 years since the opening of the Council House, that impressive symbol of civic pride at the centre of Nottingham, I’m going to be talking about two of Nottingham’s favourite architects, Watson Fothergill and Thomas Cecil Howitt and looking for links between them.

I will be giving an illustrated talk mostly looking at Fothergill’s buildings around the Market Square and T. Cecil Howitt’s Council House and Exchange Arcade which opened in 1929.

There will also be chance to examine archive materials relating to the two architects and their buildings.

The event is on 10 May 2019, 2.30pm. Tickets are £5 each, available from the archives via Eventbrite. There are a limited number of free tickets for FONA (Friends of Nottinghamshire Archives) members.

The Hine Hike

Meanwhile there are still a few tickets left for my Thomas Chambers Hine walk, The Hine Hike, on 14 April 2019. Tickets are £12 each and include a hot drink and a cake at Debbie Bryan at the end of the walk.

Mother’s Day Heritage Tour

There is still time to join me as part of Debbie Bryan’s special Mother’s Day programme of events (31 March 2019. I will be leading a short tour of the architecture of The Lace Market, and your ticket includes a cream tea or afternoon tea (vegan and gluten free options available on request) at Debbie Bryan. Tickets here.

I will be adding more dates for The Watson Fothergill Walk soon, so sign up to the mailing list to get them as soon as they are announced.

Events, Lace Market, Thomas Chambers Hine, Watson Fothergill in Nottingham

New Dates Added in April

I’ve had such a great response to the walks so far – thank you everyone who has booked or spread the word! I have a number of new events coming up…

Lucy throwing some shapes on Broadway! Photo: Stravros Pouricas @stavraki_notts


Sunday 31st March, 1pm – Mother’s Day Heritage Tour a short look around the Lace Market, followed by a choice of Afternoon or Cream Tea at Debbie Bryan. Tickets available here from Debbie Bryan.

Yummy afternoon teas at Debbie Bryan – part of the Mother’s Day package.


Sunday 14th April, 10am –The Hine Hike.  I will be offering another chance to join me for a tour of the buildings of Thomas Chambers Hine. This time the walk includes tea (or coffee) and cake at Debbie Bryan. Tickets £12 on sale now.

The Hine Hike returns!


Thursday 18th April, 6pm – Watson Fothergill Walk – Evening Edition. This is a slightly longer version of the walk, taking advantage of lighter evenings. It will conclude in Fothergill’s pub (drinks not included). Tickets £12, available now.

An evening Watson Fothergill Walk

Tuesday 25th June, 2.30pm – On The Trail Of TC Hine. I will be giving an illustrated talk at West Bridgford Library, looking at some of Thomas Chambers Hine’s buildings in Nottingham. Tickets £3 here or in person from the library.

Learn more about the buildings of Thomas Chambers Hine from the comfort of the library! TICKETS

I hope you can join me at one of the events – sign up for the mailing list for regular updates when new dates are announced.

Events, Thomas Chambers Hine, Watson Fothergill in Nottingham

Afternoon walk added in May

Thanks to everyone who has bought tickets for the walks in April and May so far, the first three walks are now sold out!

I have added another walk at 1pm on 26 May – tickets are available here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/watson-fothergill-walk-debbie-bryan-edition-afternoon-26-may-2019-tickets-55825454437?aff=WFWebsite

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/watson-fothergill-walk-debbie-bryan-edition-afternoon-26-may-2019-tickets-55825454437?aff=WFWebsite

There are just 3 tickets left for the Hine Hike Work in Progress on Sunday 17 February. Tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hine-hike-the-buildings-of-thomas-chambers-hine-work-in-progress-tickets-55411956654?aff=WFWebsite