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Turner's villa turns to crowdfunding to bolster restoration project Turner's villa turns to crowdfunding to bolster restoration project
(about 1 hour later)
A casual chat in a queue at the post office led to years of back-breaking work for an art historian to stop the house JMW Turner designed for himself as a modest country home from collapsing. A casual chat in a queue at the post office led to years of back-breaking work for an art historian to prevent the house JMW Turner designed for himself as a modest country home from collapsing.
Catherine Parry-Wingfield is chair of the trust that inherited Sandycombe Lodge in Twickenham, which she describes as “a three-dimensional work of art by one of the greatest masters”, from the man in the queue.Catherine Parry-Wingfield is chair of the trust that inherited Sandycombe Lodge in Twickenham, which she describes as “a three-dimensional work of art by one of the greatest masters”, from the man in the queue.
Within weeks work will begin on a £2.4m Heritage Lottery Fund-backed project to restore the villa as Turner knew it. Keeping it standing has involved clearing blocked lavatories by hand, shovelling up fallen bricks and plaster, chopping down trees whose roots were ripping apart foundations and worse, sewer pipes, and scrubbing down all four walls of a room so cold and damp it became covered in mould from skirting board to ceiling. Within weeks, work will begin on a £2.4m Heritage Lottery Fund-backed project to restore the villa. Keeping it standing has involved clearing blocked lavatories by hand, shovelling up fallen bricks and plaster, chopping down trees whose roots were ripping apart foundations and, worse, sewer pipes, and scrubbing down all four walls of a room so cold and damp it had become covered in mould from skirting board to ceiling.
Standing under an expanse of stained and cracked plaster, patched with a sheet of hardboard, Parry-Wingfield said sadly: “This was the scene of our first ceiling collapse.” It was followed by many more.Standing under an expanse of stained and cracked plaster, patched with a sheet of hardboard, Parry-Wingfield said sadly: “This was the scene of our first ceiling collapse.” It was followed by many more.
The Grade II*-listed building is now on the Historic England register of heritage at risk. But despite the cracked glass in warped window frames, dangling bunches of old electrical and gas fittings, sodden walls and perilous ceilings and floors, the house has survived remarkably unaltered since Turner designed it in 1813.The Grade II*-listed building is now on the Historic England register of heritage at risk. But despite the cracked glass in warped window frames, dangling bunches of old electrical and gas fittings, sodden walls and perilous ceilings and floors, the house has survived remarkably unaltered since Turner designed it in 1813.
Later owners added two-storey wings that will now be removed, but the tall narrow arches Turner copied from the trademark style of his friend the architect Sir John Soane survive. Later owners added two-storey wings that will now be removed, and the tall narrow arches Turner copied from the trademark style of his friend the architect Sir John Soane survive.
The basement kitchen and stores where the artist’s splendid father – a former Covent Garden barber – cooked, cleaned, and probably slept in the only warm space by the fire, was barely touched in generations. The basement kitchen and stores where the artist’s splendid father – a former Covent Garden barber – cooked, cleaned, and probably slept in the only warm space by the fire, were barely touched in generations.
The graceful curving staircase – now bare boards again since Parry-Wingfield spent a day ripping up a carpet – is lit by a beautiful stained glass skylight, and tests have just proved that the glass is identical to some used by Soane in his own grand house in London.The graceful curving staircase – now bare boards again since Parry-Wingfield spent a day ripping up a carpet – is lit by a beautiful stained glass skylight, and tests have just proved that the glass is identical to some used by Soane in his own grand house in London.
Although Mike Leigh’s award-winning film Mr Turner was set after the artist sold the house, the cast and crew visited the atmospherically empty rooms as part of their research.Although Mike Leigh’s award-winning film Mr Turner was set after the artist sold the house, the cast and crew visited the atmospherically empty rooms as part of their research.
Sandycombe Lodge is now deep in west London suburbia, but in 1807 the triangular wedge of land Turner bought was surrounded by fields and orchards, with a distant glimpse of the river Thames.Sandycombe Lodge is now deep in west London suburbia, but in 1807 the triangular wedge of land Turner bought was surrounded by fields and orchards, with a distant glimpse of the river Thames.
Only a sliver of the land remains, but the sloping garden is still recognisable from a contemporary illustration with a figure pottering about in the shrubbery who is probably his father.Only a sliver of the land remains, but the sloping garden is still recognisable from a contemporary illustration with a figure pottering about in the shrubbery who is probably his father.
Although Turner intended it as a simple country retreat, with only two rooms on the original first floor, he had grand friends and neighbours. His fishing companions included Soane himself and the sculptor Francis Chantrey – one of the most famous and expensive of his day – who would come over for a bacon and eggs breakfast before a day on the river.Although Turner intended it as a simple country retreat, with only two rooms on the original first floor, he had grand friends and neighbours. His fishing companions included Soane himself and the sculptor Francis Chantrey – one of the most famous and expensive of his day – who would come over for a bacon and eggs breakfast before a day on the river.
The man Parry-Wingfield met in the post office was Professor Harold Livermore, the last private owner, who bought the house in the 1940s after it was returned from its wartime service as a factory making goggles for airmen. He spent the rest of his life preserving, researching and protecting it from encroaching development. He said sadly to her that he wanted to leave it to the nation but the nation did not seem interested – the trust was the result. The man Parry-Wingfield met in the post office was Prof Harold Livermore, the last private owner, who bought the house in the 1940s after it was returned from its wartime service as a factory making goggles for airmen. He spent the rest of his life preserving, researching and protecting it from encroaching development. He said sadly to her that he wanted to leave it to the nation but the nation did not seem interested – the trust was the result.
The trustees have just launched a crowdfunding appeal to raise the last £125,000 of their £2.4m target – a modest sum in historic house terms – that will repair the fabric and, although there are only sketchy accounts of the interiors, redisplay it with modest old-fashioned Georgian furniture such as Turner would have owned.The trustees have just launched a crowdfunding appeal to raise the last £125,000 of their £2.4m target – a modest sum in historic house terms – that will repair the fabric and, although there are only sketchy accounts of the interiors, redisplay it with modest old-fashioned Georgian furniture such as Turner would have owned.
Paint scrapes have revealed some of the original colours he used on walls and woodwork: they are rather disappointingly drab, with none of the handsome red he used for his grand picture gallery in town, or the rich golden yellow favoured by Soane in his own home.Paint scrapes have revealed some of the original colours he used on walls and woodwork: they are rather disappointingly drab, with none of the handsome red he used for his grand picture gallery in town, or the rich golden yellow favoured by Soane in his own home.
Nothing will be wasted: later Victorian fireplace surrounds that have to come out will be sold, and when a holly tree too close to the house was cut down, they sold the berried branches at a Christmas fair.Nothing will be wasted: later Victorian fireplace surrounds that have to come out will be sold, and when a holly tree too close to the house was cut down, they sold the berried branches at a Christmas fair.
The snowdrop bulbs which will have to be uprooted in the garden as the work proceeds will be on offer at a later fundraiser. “Turner’s own snowdrops – that’s got to be worth something, surely?” Parry-Wingfield said. The snowdrop bulbs that will have to be uprooted in the garden as the work proceeds will be on offer at a later fundraiser. “Turner’s own snowdrops – that’s got to be worth something, surely?” Parry-Wingfield said.