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MAKING HISTORY A derelict Northamptonshire country manor is transformed into a family home.
The two large mirrors in the drawing room were ‘mocked up’ by Molly and Hugo. “We bought the mirrored glass, had it mounted and carefully gilded the plaster decorative flowers and garlands ourselves.” Molly made the curtains and cushions, and the faux roses in the green vase on the ottoman are from Neptune.
MAKING HISTORY
Almost 40 years of hard work, love and patience has transformed a derelict country manor into a glorious family home filled with precious memories
FEATURE AMANDER MEADE PHOTOGRAPHY RACHAEL SMITH STYLING CLAIR WAYMAN STYLING ASSISTANCE FIONA DE LYS
ABOVE This elaborate mirror, purchased from a country house sale, required specialist mounting to support its great weight. The antique Heriz rug from Iran belonged to Hugo’s father. Standing at the heart of a small picturesque village in Northamptonshire, Molly Robertson’s splendid Grade II listed manor house, approached by an impressive gravelled drive, seems to possess a distinctly French air, with its elegant symmetry and mullioned windows. The earliest records of the house date back to 1475, but the oldest parts of the present building are from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. “Most recent history has seen the house used as a hunting lodge by the local gentry until the decline in large country houses,” explains Molly. “Substantially refurbished in 1934, the house fell upon hard times once more when it was requisitioned as a billet for paratroopers before the D-Day landings, after which it lay abandoned in a derelict state for many years.”
In 1984, Molly and her husband Hugo, having sold their London home, were having no luck finding just
the right country house in which to put down roots with their two young children – Rose, who was then six years old, and Henry, then three. Having viewed dozens of properties, Molly suddenly recalled a pretty Northamptonshire manor house she had spotted years before whilst on a walk with her grandfather. Upon revisiting the village, she, together with Hugo, soon located the house, contacted the owner, who was keen to sell, and swiftly found themselves in possession of a new home.
In a desperately dilapidated condition and described by Molly as a ‘delightful wreck’, the house had been left quite literally to rot. “There was no glass in any of the windows, and the kitchen had been used by a local farmer for lambing. There were rat holes everywhere, and the smaller fireplaces and oak floor boards had all been stolen, but I could see beyond the destruction and fell in love with both the beautiful rural setting and the fabulous proportions of the rooms,” she recalls.
Renting nearby for the next year, the Robertsons set about the restoration, clearing the site before bringing in the trades to install floors and restore the windows. Hugo’s father, an architect, helped enormously with the planning. Gradually, over the following months wiring, heating and plumbing were installed and the walls were plastered. Molly remembers being thrilled at finding 300 square
ABOVE The stone fireplace creates a focal point in the winter drawing room, around which many of the couple’s favourite pieces are arranged. The painting over the mantelpiece is A Windy Day by British painter, Philip Connard.
Lily the lurcher in the kitchen, where the artwork contains themes around food to amuse Molly’s grandchildren. The faux dahlias are from Neptune and the antique confit pot they are in is from Fiona de Lys.
metres of oak floorboarding in a job lot at auction, and how exciting it was seeing the house gradually finding its dignity once more. Soon, it was ready for the family to move in, with each room initially painted in a cool white to start with. The exception to this was the garden sitting room, where Molly discovered traces of the original blue wall colour and had paint mixed to match it. “The aim was to make every room habitable, with a view to fine tuning as time went on and sure enough, rooms have altered over the years as the needs of our family evolved.”
Molly and Hugo happily installed the furniture and artwork from their former London home and continued to indulge their love of collecting, which is what had originally brought them together, when Molly applied to be a partner at Hugo’s antiques business. Not only did she get the role, but a smitten Hugo soon proposed. Confirmed auction enthusiasts, the pair have spent many happy years filling their home with art, sculpture, antiques and furnishings from sales all over the UK and at times bidding by phone on lots for sale in France.
Their shared love of interiors radiates through every room, with Molly able to call to mind the provenance and story behind every treasured piece. “My style was, and remains, very eclectic,” she says. “During auctions, my focus has always been about what catches my eye, never about the value of an item. If I love it, I try and buy it. Many pieces of furniture were purchased with a plan to improve them through reupholstering or
ABOVE LEFT The pink chairs in the winter drawing room are vintage Duresta. The Chiswick reading chair from Duresta’s current collection is similar. ABOVE A central island doubles as a preparation space and a sociable hub. The Hampstead slim bar stool by Garden Trading has a similar look to the ones shown here.
ABOVE In the garden sitting room, the antique opium table, Chinese carpet, mirror and all the artwork were purchased at Lots Road Auction House. The flowers are from Saltbox & Co. repair, which we always enjoyed and found very rewarding. I suppose we were ‘upcycling’ before it had a name.”
The arrival of Molly and Hugo’s third child, William, added to the layers of family history they had begun to create within the fabric of the house – from the very first picture they purchased together, which hangs in a guest room, to the splendidly huge painting of the family of Judge Evans by Ambrose McEvoy, which dominates the main reception hall. They purchased the latter at Bonhams and transported it home on the roof of their small car, to the amusement of passers-by. “We were so pleased it found its rightful place and scale here,” says Molly.
When it came to decorating the house, unable to afford the vast cost of dressing the many windows, Molly taught herself to sew, and, using The Complete Book of Curtains by Catherine Wrey as her inspiration,
ABOVE Rescued from an old stable, one of these chairs is reputed to have been stolen from the House of Lords, so Molly had another made to create a pair. The curtain fabric is vintage Designers Guild. LEFT With its stone-tiled roof, gabled wings and lofty mullioned windows, the house has a pleasing symmetry. This is echoed by the glorious evergreen shrubs of the parterre - planned by Hugo with remarkable foresight almost four decades ago.
ABOVE The grand main hall is the perfect place to showcase artwork of scale. The couple uncovered the decorative stone floor underneath layers of mud after Hugo discovered the original plans. “It had originally been in the billiard room, but was moved by hand in 1934,” explains Molly. The fireplace was also moved from the oldest part of the house and is made of fossil stone from the Jurassic period. Country florals and a Chinese lamp provide colour and character in Molly’s pretty bedroom. The delicate antique fan is one of several Molly had framed to add a feminine touch to her schemes.
made all the curtains and pelmets, using fabrics sourced in sales.
The overgrown gardens became Molly’s special project as she painstakingly began to restore and replant the acre of ground to the rear of the house. Hugo drew up a plan for the parterre, which was trialled with brown paper before trenches were dug and box cuttings planted. “We decided that a formal garden would be much easier to maintain,” Molly explains. Carefully topiaried yews, Portuguese laurels and hawthorns are laid out symmetrically to line four lawns, whilst climbing roses and wisteria bring a softer more traditionally English appeal to the grounds.
Both the house and its gardens have been the couple’s life’s work, so when their family flew the nest, they defied the expectations of many friends that they would sell up and move. “We did briefly consider moving,” Molly admits, “but with so much happiness contained here, it makes sense that for now at least, this special house continues to be home.” n
The vast four-poster bed was made to Molly’s design and comprises two doubles joined together and raised on blocks. Molly made the canopy drapes herself using vintage GP & J Baker fabric. Hydrangea Bird in Ochre from GP & J Baker’s current collection would create a similar luxurious statement.
