HOME EDITION In My Space Director of David Parr House, Annabelle Campbell, takes us for a tour around 186 Gwydir Street, an unsuspecting terrace house that provides an unparalleled window into the Arts and Crafts movement from the dawn of the 20th century Words PHOEBE HARPER
S ituated on an unassuming a second look. Yet, these four small walls encase a treasure trove of wonders that are entirely unique and historically significant as a portal into the beauty and opulence of the Arts and Crafts movement. Not only this, but the modest house also offers fascinating insight into the lives of the ordinary working-class people who called this place home from the late Victorian to early Edwardian era – and beyond. When Annabelle Campbell first heard about the house in 2009, it was a closeted place that held a fascinating story but was not yet open to the public. “Though I knew of it, nothing could prepare me for the impact to the senses felt on entering,” she recalls. Fast forward to 2022, and residential road since 1876, one might easily stroll down Gwydir Street and not give number 186 Annabelle was appointed the first director to oversee the organisation that had been founded following a trustee-led period of
fundraising, conservation and restoration. David Parr House was officially established and subsequently opened its doors to the public to share its extraordinary interiors. Where the heart is The house was purchased by David Parr in 1886 and, as its name suggests, it was this individual who is largely responsible for the remarkable property we see today. After moving in with his wife Mary Jane and their young family, David spent much of the next 40 years lovingly adorning their home in the style of the grand interiors he worked on every day as a highly skilled decorative artist for Cambridge firm F R Leach & Sons. To this day, his elaborate, hand-painted interiors have been able to survive extremely well, and represent an incredibly rare example of decorative arts and daring interior design being introduced to a working-class, domestic setting. From what Annabelle tells us, there is simply nowhere else like it. “In 1912, David included the words ‘if you do anything, do it well’ in the drawing room decorative scheme,” she says. “His work through the house is a testament to that maxim and to the values of the Arts and Crafts movement in general.” Aside from the aesthetic appreciation of interior decor and how it encapsulates the shifting predilections of the turn of the century, the house is also an atmospheric gateway through which to explore the ordinary lives of working-class people during the late Victorian and Edwardian eras. Indeed, this is a demographic that is typically overlooked in historical narratives of the time, particularly in relation to the Arts and Crafts movement. Running parallel to David’s decorative preoccupations are evident signs of simply wanting to create a comfortable home for his family by improving its functionality. We see how a toilet was installed inside decades before the surrounding houses made such advances, an additional bedroom was created upstairs by modifying the existing layout and a hot air system was installed to heat the main bedroom. Under the stairs, you will still find one of its greatest treasures – and one of Annabelle’s favourite discoveries –
IN PLAIN SIGHT Passers-by might not know the cultural significance of 186 Gwydir Street and the historical treasures that sit preserved inside
82 JUNE 2024 CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK
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