78 Derngate
Encyclopedia
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
house in the Derngate
Derngate
Derngate is a part of Northampton, England, with a theatre complex of the same name. It refers to a gate in the old town walls, which was located there....
area of Northampton
Northampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, originally built in the 1820s. It's noted for its interior, which was extensively remodelled in 1916 and 1917 by noted architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh
Charles Rennie Mackintosh
Charles Rennie Mackintosh was a Scottish architect, designer, watercolourist and artist. He was a designer in the Arts and Crafts movement and also the main representative of Art Nouveau in the United Kingdom. He had a considerable influence on European design...
for businessman Wenman Joseph Bassett-Lowke
Bassett-Lowke
Bassett-Lowke was a toy company in Northampton, England, founded by Wenman Joseph Bassett-Lowke in 1898 or 1899, that specialized in model railways, boats and ships, and construction sets...
as his first marital home.
The rear elevation also features a striking extension with two elevated balconies which, in 1915, overlooked meadowland to the edge of Northampton. The design origins of this extension have been the subject of some scholarly debate and a myth of Mackintosh as a modernist pioneer in his late career has persisted. However, recent research suggests that Bassett-Lowke
Bassett-Lowke
Bassett-Lowke was a toy company in Northampton, England, founded by Wenman Joseph Bassett-Lowke in 1898 or 1899, that specialized in model railways, boats and ships, and construction sets...
and Alexander Ellis Anderson (a Northampton based architect who supervised the remodelling) may also have had a hand in the design of this structure as well as Mackintosh.
In 1926 the Bassett Lowkes moved to New Ways, a pioneering modernist house designed by Peter Behrens
Peter Behrens
Peter Behrens was a German architect and designer. He was important for the modernist movement, as several of the movements leading names worked for him when they were young.-Biography:Behrens attended the Christianeum Hamburg from September 1877 until Easter 1882...
close to Abington Park
Abington Park
Abington Park, in the Abington district of Northampton, has lakes, aviaries, and a museum, as well as trees and grassy open spaces.The park contains the ruins of the former village of Abington, the site of a medieval manorhouse with a mill attached, mentioned in the Domesday book in 1086...
.
Between 1964 and 1993 the building was used by Northampton High School
Northampton High School
Northampton High School is a private selective day school for girls in Hardingstone, Northampton, England.- Location :The school is about from Northampton town centre along the Newport Pagnell road which separates the school from Wootton.- History :The school was founded in 1878 by a committee of...
for girls, initially as offices but later as classrooms. In 2002 work started to restore the house to Mackintosh's original design.
After eighteen months of restoration, the house was opened to the public in late 2003. Small group guided tours or self guided visits are available and provide an insight into this stunning and rare example of a Mackintosh-designed house in England. A supporting museum adjoins 78 Derngate and is housed in number 80. In May 2007 a new visitors centre at 82 Derngate was opened to provide further facilities and exhibitions for visitors.