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Inside, Watson Fothergill in Nottingham

Inside Fothergill House (Jessops)

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Once again I’ve made it inside one of the Watson Fothergill buildings that features on The Watson Fothergill Walk.

Lucy in action on King Street. Photo: Lamar Francois

Thanks to Alec Frusher (a keen Nottingham food blogger who follows me on Twitter, and who just happens to work in one of the largest Watson Fothergill buildings in the city) I was able go inside the building on King Street now known as Fothergill House. It was built as a Department Store for Jessop & Son circa 1895.

The Jessops building has 7 floors and a tower and I was going as close to the top as I could! Photo: Lucy Brouwer

Some changable summer weather struck just as I arrived to meet Alec to explore the floors at the top of the buildings but we pressed on and I took a few photos as we went.

This part of the building is now called Fothergill House in honour of its architect. Photo: Lucy Brouwer
Photo: Lucy Brouwer

At the firm where Alec works they have meeting rooms with appropriate names. (They’ve also commemorated Zebedee Jessop, one of the founders of the Store.)

Through a locked door to the disused upper levels… Photo: Lucy Brouwer

We went up two flights of stairs to access the rooms that now hold tanks and heating. I think originally they were part of the staff accomodation.

The upper rooms were in a bit of a state, but some of the features had been uncovered… Photo: Lucy Brouwer

The paint was peeling off, strip lights had been added and it was a bit dusty. There were some exploratory holes in the walls in places, but otherwise the structure looked in decent shape.

It became apparent that the view from the windows would be pretty impressive, even on a misty wet day. Photo: Lucy Brouwer

There seemed to be original leaded windows on each side, and lots of strudy woodwork to support the structure.

And so it proved. Across the gable roofline of the rest of the building with characteristically large Fothergill chimneys. You can see the corner of the old Elite Cinema (in white). Photo: Lucy Brouwer

Some of the views of Nottingham are blocked by more recent buildings, but you can imagine that the view from here (and from the tower itself) was very impressive when this was built in 1895 – it would have been one of the tallest structures around.

A pretty special view of Queens Chambers (King Street’s other Fothergill) and Nottingham rooftops even on such a murky day! Photo: Lucy Brouwer

Queens Chambers shares some of the features of Fothergill’s late 1890s Vernacular Style with Jessops and was the next building he built.

This unprepossessing step ladder led up inside the tower, I wasn’t allowed to step inside but I managed to see the rafters… Photo: Lucy Brouwer

We kept going up so I could have a look inside the tower. We didn’t dare go inside it, but I could see that there was a viewing platform at the very top. Was it just built for the view or did it ever have another purpose?

Up inside the tower, you can see the woodwork, the windows and the brick patterning. All looking fairly solid. Photo: Lucy Brouwer

I imagine that the rafters and timbers here are a larger version of the kind of craftsmanship that Fothergill had built into the turrets on his other buildings.

Alec was saving the best bit for last… through this door to the roof. Photo: Lucy Brouwer

After a look around inside, we braved the rain to have a look out on the roof platform. There were metal walkways, so it was very safe to explore inbetween the air-con units added to the modern offices.

We turned round to get a lesser-seen view of the tower. Photo: Lucy Brouwer
And a view down the back of the roof (towards Parliament St.) Photo: Lucy Brouwer

Jessops was expanded to the back of the site in 1933 when the stone became part of The John Lewis Partnership. From this quick inspection, I’m not sure if the flat roof is part of that or a more recent renovation.

Great Fothergill details, even at the back of the tower. Photo: Lucy Brouwer

Pleasingly the back view of the tower had all the elements of Fothergill’s style that you would expect, large chimneys, orange bricks arranged between black timbers, large dormer windows…

I was thrilled to see some of that typical Fothergill brick nogging so close up! Photo: Lucy Brouwer

I love the details of brick nogging and big dormer windows, that hardly anyone will get to see.

Diagonal brickwork in the chimney. Photo: Lucy Brouwer
One for the masonry fans… Photo: Lucy Brouwer
Mysteriously derelict room on top of the building next door. Any ideas what it was for? Photo: Lucy Brouwer

Huge thanks to Alec for taking me up to the roof and letting me look around as well as to his firm for sparing him the time, and David on reception for showing me some of the Fothergill pictures which decorate the interior.

I found an image of Fothergill’s original plan online. The tower design was slightly altered in the finished building.
The John Lewis archive has some photos of the store on their website. Jessops became part of the John Lewis Partnership in 1933, when this photo was taken. They traded on the site until moving to the Victoria Centre in 1972. (Photo: John Lewis Memory Store)
The only photos I can find so far of the interior are from 1937. The man on the far left is William Dickinson, nephew of William Daft, one of the firm’s original partners. He worked for Jessops for 72 years starting in 1868 at age 16. Photo: John Lewis Memory Store.

One last Fothergill link I’ve found while digging in the British Newspaper Archives: Lawrence Summers (Fothergill’s right hand man) attended the funeral in 1919 of William Jessop (who had succeeded his father Zebedee Jessop to run the firm).

Learn more about Jessops and Watson Fothergill’s buildings in Nottingham on the next Watson Fothergill Walks in August. Tickets here.

Events, Lace Market, TC Hine, Thomas Chambers Hine

The Hine Hike & The Lace Market Tour in July

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I’m enjoying working with Debbie Bryan and her team, adding a little social element to my guided walks. (The bottomless tea and great food helps!) We’re trying out a version of The Hine Hike where you can choose to upgrade from your tea and cake to a cream tea or a light lunch of soup and a savoury scone.

The walk, with me, Lucy Brouwer, looks at the Nottingham architecture of Thomas Chambers Hine, a prolific Victorian architect whose buildings dominate the city. The next date is Sunday 28 July, 2019. Starting at 12noon (at Nottingham Playhouse) and finishing at Debbie Bryan at 2pm. This is a walk of approx. 3km / 2 hours.

Tickets are available from Debbie Bryan’s website or in person from her shop at 18, St Mary’s Gate, Nottingham, NG1 1PF.

Debbie Bryan’s shop and tea room in the heart of The Lace Market.
July 28th 2019 | Hine Hike
T.C. Hine’s Adams Buildings is full of beautiful details. Explore the Lace Market with Lucy Brouwer.

Thomas Chambers Hine’s Victorian buildings dominate the Lace Market. If you prefer a shorter walk, we are running the Lace Market Heritage Tour again on 18 July 2019, starting at 5pm. Explore St Mary’s Gate on a leisurely stroll, lasting approx. 45 mins. Tea and cake included. Tickets are also available at Debbie Bryan (online or in person).

July 18th 2019 | Guided Lace Market Tour

Tickets are also available for my upcoming Watson Fothergill Walks on Eventbrite.

Events, Watson Fothergill in Nottingham

New Dates for August 2019

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There are a handful of tickets left for the 21 July evening walk and you can get tickets here. Also, I will be conducting some more Watson Fothergill Walks in August 2019.

First up, 18 August sees another Sunday morning walk starting at 10am, which will conclude at Debbie Bryan with tea and cake. Tickets here.

Another chance to try the Watson Fothergill Walk. Tickets here.

I will also be walking in the evening of 22 August, starting at 6pm and finishing up at Fothergill’s pub (for optional food and drinks). Tickets here.

Tickets for the evening walk on 22 August here.

I try to keep the walks to small groups of around 20 people, so if they fill up and you miss oout on tickets, please sign up for the mailing list and try again or think about booking me for a private group tour – I’m interested in taking groups of between 6 and 20 people around Nottingham at times to suit them. Get in touch!

Lawrence G Summers, Watson Fothergill in Nottingham

Inside Watson Fothergill’s Office part two

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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

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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, Lace Market

Lightest Night Heritage Tour

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On June 21 Nottingham’s Creative Quarter are celebrating the longest day of the year with their Lightest Night summer party. There will be some later than usual opening for businesses around the Lace Market area, as part of these events I will be running my Beauty in the Details Lace Market Heritage tour, a short walk around the history of St Mary’s Gate in conjunction with Debbie Bryan’s shop.

Lightest Night 2019

Beauty in the Details is a shorter walk, on even terrain that is suitable for those who don’t want to walk too far or for too long. This tour will be about 45 minutes in total with time for refreshments at Debbie Bryan before and after and then chance to attend the Lightest Night event at St Mary’s Church afterwards. Starts at 5pm, Friday 21 June, 2019 at Debbie Bryan Shop.

I will also be running the same tour for Father’s Day on Sunday 16 June, 2019 (with added afternoon tea).

Explore the Adams Building on the Beauty in the Details tour.

The next dates for the Watson Fothergill Walk are 21 July 2019. Tickets are available here Eventbrite (2pm) and here (6pm).

Events, Watson Fothergill in Nottingham

Dates for July 2019

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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, Lace Market

Father’s Day Heritage Tour: The Lace Market

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I am working with Debbie Bryan again to offer my Lace Market Heritage Tour for Father’s Day on 16 June starting at 1pm. We will take a look at the unique industrial architecture of the Lace Market, including buildings by Watson Fothergill and Thomas Chambers Hine.

The beauty is in the details.

Then there are two options for teas after the short guided walk: A full afternoon tea with a choice of three luxurious menus or a simple and delicious cream tea with scones and jam.

Tickets for Afternoon Tea

The tour will explore the architectural gems of St Mary’s Gate in Nottingham’s Lace Market including buildings by Watson Fothergill and Thomas Chambers Hine, it’s a short tour of about 45 minutes with walking on flat ground. So chose your tea and get your tickets!

Tickets for Cream Tea.
Treat your dad to a fine afternoon tea from the Debbie Bryan Menu!

Tickets are available here on Eventbrite or via Debbie Bryan Shop (online or in person).

Travels

A Wander Around York

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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.



Events, Lace Market, TC Hine, Thomas Chambers Hine

The Hine Hike: Evening Walk

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I’m running another chance to join me for The Hine Hike: The buildings of Thomas Chambers Hine on Wednesday 5th June 2019, starting at 6pm. Tickets here.

The Hine Hike 5 June 2019

Thomas Chambers Hine, 1813-1899, was possbly Nottingham’s most prolific architect of the Victorian Age. His work across the 19th Century ranges from overseeing the development of The Park Estate, to building the biggest lace warehouses in the Lace Market, and includes the conversion of Nottingham Castle to England’s first provincial art gallery outside London.

The Adams Building, Lace Market, Nottingham (photo: Lucy Brouwer).
The Birkin Building, Lace Market, Nottingham (photo: Lucy Brouwer).

Explore the buildings of Thomas Chambers Hine “the father of the Midlands Architects” and his impact on the built environment of Nottingham city centre. This evening walk will take in a overview of the Park Estate, progress via Hine’s home and office on Regent Street towards Nottingham Castle. The walk will continue across the city centre to investigate some of Thomas Chambers Hine’s lesser known buildings and finish up with some of his large scale projects in the Lace Market.

This is a walk of 3km (1.9 miles) approximately 2 hours. The walk starts at Nottingham Playhouse and finishes in the Lace Market.

Next Hine Hike is 5 June, 2019, 6pm Tickets here.