Charles Rennie Mackintosh at 78 Derngate

My regular weekly wandering this week took me on a visit to see the last major architectural project completed by the fabulous Scottish architect and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1868-1928) at 78 Derngate in the English Midlands town of Northampton.


Mackintosh had a very distinctive style and is probably better known for some of his earlier works, including the Glasgow School of Art and Willow Tea Rooms. However, 78 Derngate provides plenty to excite and inspire and shows off key elements of his style. As a big fan of Mackintosh, I consider myself incredibly lucky to live only a short drive away from 78 Derngate and this was my fourth visit, going right back to when the house was first opened as a museum. It was, though, my first visit in quite some time.

Number 78 has been restored over a lengthy period of time and now includes both original and recreated features, with the overall effect being fantastic and, in the case of a couple of the rooms, quite spectacular.

These days the trust that runs the museum also owns numbers 80 and 82 Derngate, which have been turned into a shop, restaurant, display areas and galleries.

One thing to bear in mind here is that, in its day, 78 Derngate was at the cutting edge of modernity, both in terms of its design and its facilities.

You can see in the photo above the extent to which the house was remodelled on the outside, with number 78 on the left and one of the original Georgian town houses on the right.

The front door is pretty impressive and I love the light and decoration at the top.

This is the rear of the house from the little back garden. Again, you can see the extent to which it was remodelled by comparing it with the house next door.

To help protect the carpets, tiles and other floor coverings in number 78 you are required to slip a pair of protective plastic coverings over your shoes. Very CSI, I thought!

The first room you visit is the kitchen. Whilst the floor and wall tiles are original, replicas have had to be made of some of the furniture.

The restoration work, including such things as the wall decorations and missing furniture, benefited from access to an extensive archive of paperwork, including original drawings and notes, and a lengthy piece in the Ideal Home magazine in August 1920.

Up the stairs we go, with a strong hint of the wonders that are to come.

There is a dining room at the rear of the house. The square ‘doors’ at the bottom of the inbuilt cupboards are in fact containers for coal and wood for the fire.

We then cross the hallway to the front of the house and enter the room visitors would encounter on being let in via the front door and what an entrance it is! Sadly, my photos don’t do justice to this room, the drawing room, because the impact it has is immense.

The front door is centre-right, with the three square panes of glass.

The stairs we came up from the kitchen are the other side of this spectacular panel.

This is a replica of the original stupendous light fitting on the ceiling. Would love to have it in my own house.

Up another flight of stairs we go and into the guest bedroom we go only to be greeted with another wonderful piece of design. Not so sure it’s ideal for those mornings when you wake up with a hangover! George Bernard Shaw stayed with the Bassett-Lowkes a number of times and this would have been the room he slept in.

There is a gorgeous replica clock on the mantelpiece. The original is in the British Museum.

This is one of the pages from the room guide and includes a photo from the Ideal Home magazine article in 1920.

Up another set of stairs to the top of the house, where we find a small room with a display of some of the original furniture from the house, now on loan from Northampton Museum and Art Gallery.

The Bassett-Lowkes

The work Mackintosh did at 78 Derngate was commissioned by WJ Bassett-Lowke and his wife, who were looking for a totally modern redesign and provided input themselves to many of the features.
Bassett-Lowke was a Northamptonshire businessman who made his money in model trains and boats, some of which are on display. Here is an example.

The Bassett-Lowkes later had a new house built elsewhere in the town and quite a few of the fixtures and fittings from 78 Derngate were re-installed there. Sadly, this other house remains a private home and is not open to the public. Maybe one day!

78 Derngate is a fabulous place to visit and you really shouldn’t pass up the chance if it ever comes your way.

For more information on 78 Derngate
For more information on Charles Rennie Mackintosh
For more information on WJ Bassett-Lowke

All the best,
Ben

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