Warwickshire House, Bloomsbury, London
In 1907, London's Bourne & Hollingsworth department store, at the corner of Oxford Street and Berners Street, opened Warwickshire House, a hostel for its female assistants. The new building, on Gower Street, Bloomsbury, replaced the company's existing hostel, Staffordshire House on Store Street.
According to a contemporary report:
Passers-by in Gower Street have long wondered what the magnificent stone fronted building on the east side was intended for. Its blue marble entrance steps, and the spacious windows on the ground floor, daintily dressed with white muslin curtains, gave it the appearance of a first class hotel. And in a sense that was a correct supposition.
Yesterday, a representative of "The Daily Chronicle" was permitted to view every part of the huge building, and found replete with all that could make it a comfortable home and club for the young ladies, who are already taking up their quarters there.
Most of the bedrooms are for occupation by two friends, others are for three, and a few are for four. In each case there is a handsome walnut wood suite, thick soft Persian mats at the side of every bed, and beautiful prints, many of them artist-signed proofs, on the walls.
In another part is the hospital, with quarters for the nurses, a pleasant convalescent room and cosy sleeping apartments, Here will be isolation de luxe tor the very few of the thousand or more employees of the firm who are stricken with sickness.
On the roof is space for a tennis court or for "sitting around" when the nights are hot. The views of the Northern Heights on the one hand and of the Crystal Palace on the other will be pleasant to contemplate.
A lawn and garden are in preparation. In the basements are baths and shampooing rooms equal to the best in a well-ordered private house.
A great boxroom contains the bulkier wearing apparel, and in the corridors are dark green lockers, 8ft. or 9ft, in height, and something over 2ft. square, for each inmate. There is also a "wet clothes room," so that young people coming in may take off their damp garments, hang them in the heated atmosphere, and have them quite dry in a very short time.
In the front of the house are beautiful reception-rooms and other apartments, and there is a splendid ballroom, with shaded lights, ventilated in the most complete fashion, and with a floor that compels one to dance. Library, lounges, lift from top to bottom, filtered drinking water on every floor, spacious dining-room, kitchen and scullery, and facilities for washing delicate laces and ribbons — these are among the comforts of this perfect home for employees, which is known as Warwickshire House.
Warwickshire House later also provided accommodation for girls training to be actresses at the adjacent RADA drama school, and for nurses from University College hospital at the end of Gower Street. However they had to pay more than the B & H employees.
The Warwickshire House site is shown on the 1914 map below.
Warwickshire House site, Bloomsbury, c.1914.
Warwickshire House, Bloomsbury, Gower Street frontage, c.1912. © Peter Higginbotham
Warwickshire House, Bloomsbury, main entrance, c.1912. © Peter Higginbotham
Warwickshire House, Bloomsbury, entrance hall, c.1912. © Peter Higginbotham
Warwickshire House, Bloomsbury, waiting room for callers, c.1912. © Peter Higginbotham
Warwickshire House, Bloomsbury, dining room, c.1912. © Peter Higginbotham
Warwickshire House, Bloomsbury, lounge, c.1912. © Peter Higginbotham
Warwickshire House, Bloomsbury, library and club room, c.1912. © Peter Higginbotham
Warwickshire House, Bloomsbury, ballroom, c.1912. © Peter Higginbotham
Warwickshire House, Bloomsbury, ballroom, c.1912. © Peter Higginbotham
Warwickshire House, Bloomsbury, laundry, c.1912. © Peter Higginbotham
Warwickshire House, Bloomsbury, laundry, c.1912. © Peter Higginbotham
Warwickshire House, Bloomsbury, swimming pool, c.1912. © Peter Higginbotham
Warwickshire House, Bloomsbury, a bedroom, c.1912. © Peter Higginbotham
Warwickshire House, Bloomsbury, corridor with wardrobes and filter tap, c.1912. © Peter Higginbotham
Warwickshire House, Bloomsbury, hospital ward, c.1912. © Peter Higginbotham
During the Second World War, Warwickshire House was used as a hostel by the ATS.
The Bourne & Hollingsworth store and Warwickshire House appeared in the 1954 film The Crowded Day.
The Bourne & Hollingsworth store finally closed its doors in 1983. The building is now used by the university of London as student accommodation.
Records
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- None identfied at present — any information welcome.
Bibliography
- Higginbotham, Peter Children's Homes: A History of Institutional Care for Britain s Young (2017, Pen & Sword)
Links
- None identified at present.
Except where indicated, this page () © Peter Higginbotham. Contents may not be reproduced without permission.
