Having some time before returning home to Yorkshire I decided to visit a National Trust Scotland property where a rather unusual restoration project is taking place (with some great photographic potential).
Architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh was commissioned by Glasgow book publisher Walter Blackie to build him a home in the hills above Helensburgh. Recognised as being his domestic masterpiece Mackintosh and his wife Margaret created almost everything you see at the property, from the building itself to the furniture and textiles.
Mackintosh was a revolutionary designer, but the materials and techniques at the cutting edge of architectural design in 1900 haven’t withstood a century of the west of Scotland’s harsh, wet weather conditions.
The external cement render of the property has not proved watertight and the walls have gradually become saturated and are crumbling, with water now threatening the interiors.
To stop the damage getting any worse an ingenious solution was devised which is described below:
The chainmail metal box is now complete and it was as much for exploring that as visiting the house that I set off to The Hill House.
Here’s some of my photographs:
The steel walkways provided a brilliant opportunity to see the exterior from all angles:
Having had problems with Portland cement render on my own house and had it removed, the solution seems obvious – hack it all off and replace it with a breathable lime render. The dilemma is that doing so would of course go against the original Mackintosh design. A decision has still to be made about what to do once the house has finally dried out but as a house guide told me, it’s not inconceivable that the box may remain. And would that be such a bad thing?
Not all the rooms were open but here’s some images from those that were, with their unmistakable Mackintosh signature:
The entrance fee of £13 was well worth it and I’d certainly recommend The Hill House if you’re in the area. Book ahead during COVID times.