Emily Hobhouse was many things: a British reformer, a human rights activist, a socialist, an author, a feminist, a firm pacifist and a relentless whistle-blower to war-related brutalities. To the women and children she saved in the British-laid South African concentration camps during the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902), she was an ‘angel of love’. "Emily Hobhouse dared to oppose the mightiest men of her time…she was forgotten by history, mostly hated in Britain…even though she was a patriot with all her heart,” reads an excerpt from the 2018 book Emily Hobhouse: Feminist, Pacifist, Traitor? by South Africa-based medical journalist and Hobhouse’s biographer, Elsabe Brits.

Brits’ knowledge and expertise on Hobhouse’s lifelong work led her to curate content and exhibition for The Story of Emily Museum, designed by Corsham-based British architecture practice Stonewood Design. The museum was developed on the grounds of the Hobhouse estate located in the village of St Ives in Cornwall, United Kingdom. Visitors are taken on a journey through the restored 1850s rectory, home to the family since 1875 when Hobhouse was just 15. The experience also includes a cafe that serves traditional South African cuisine and the War Rooms, which convey her experiences and efforts to combat the atrocities of war. This is the story of Emily.

Upon entering the museum premises, the visitors first arrive at the Blackthorn Grange, built on the footprint of an existing house and a cart shed. Featuring Cornish vernacular architecture, the building retains the original stone and most window specifications from the olden days, except for a large window glazing used in the retail design. The double-height open plan shop is almost entirely made of scalloped oak wood joinery to exude warmth and comfort, complemented by patinated bronze accents in its furniture design and a subtle blue lias stone flooring. A small, glass-covered corridor connects the store to the video room, which screens the introductory film and provides a glimpse of the War Rooms.

As visitors make their way to the rectory, they stumble upon the cafe and the ornamental and kitchen gardens, where several old and new flora welcome them. Among these is the largest and oldest tree on the property, a turkey oak alongside two 150-year-old sycamore trees. The site also features a swing and a court for battledore, a sport resembling badminton that Hobhouse delightfully engaged in during her time in the residence. Additionally, the gardens invite the visitors to plant using traditional methods, while the pitch pine wood boot room offers Victorian leather slippers, creating an immersive experience that takes them back in time.

Born to Caroline Trelawny and Reginald Hobhouse, Emily hailed from a privileged background and was homeschooled along with her sisters in the rectory, where she grew up with her five siblings and lived till she was 34. Designed by British architect William White, the rectory was built in the Gothic Revival style, featuring steep gabled roofs, tall chimneys and arched windows. From wallpapers and furniture to decorative props and items, all the elements of the interior design are replicated based on the original remnants uncovered during the restoration of the house.

Traversing along the landscape design around the rectory, one can enjoy strolling about the woodland walk and take respite in the contemplation corner to take in the expansive meadow. It features landscape architecture elements such as a gazebo, recreated accurately from a description in one of Hobhouse’s letters. Just a few metres from the gazebo, next to the Blackthorn Grange is the War Rooms building and exhibition, which stands out from the rest of the buildings on the site with its minimalist and zinc-clad modern facade design.

The green facade with standing seam zinc sheets slightly folds inwards at the centre to reveal the entrance of the War Rooms building. Stonewood Design, working closely with Brits and the exhibition designers, creates a cohesive built environment that is in line with the layout and concept of the exhibition. The visitors are subjected to 26 degrees Celsius as soon as they enter the building, transporting them in the past to the Anglo-Boer War to witness Hobhouse’s experiences in South Africa. The War Rooms convey the forgotten story of Emily Hobhouse, her life before, during and after the war, through a series of exhibits, artefacts, installations, animations, film, virtual reality, props and historical photography collections. The journey concludes outside the War Rooms, with a viewing mound that overlooks the Bodmin moors, revealing the Cornish landscape that is not so different from Emily’s times.

The newly built staff and visitor amenities are a contemporary interpretation of the Cornish vernacular architecture on the site. The museum campus also comprises the gardener’s store and the glasshouse, which is also a potting store built in traditional Victorian architecture style. The Cornish House accommodates three staff families, featuring stone architecture, reclaimed roofing slates and natural stone quoins. The internal walls and ceilings are finished with clay plaster and the floors are made of sawn oak wood boards.

The Story of Emily Museum celebrates the life of a liberalist humanitarian, honouring her contributions by allowing the visitors to immerse themselves in the lifestyle and challenges of the 19th century. The intentional use of wood architecture一English wood in the earlier sections of the museum contrasts with the South African wood utilised in the cafe and the War Rooms一reflects the two major phases of Emily’s life, her days in her hometown and experiences in the trying times of the Anglo-Boer War. While the museum experience delves into the past, the viewing mound as a conclusive element encourages people to contemplate the gravity of her contributions in modern times.

Project Details

Name: Story of Emily Museum
Location: St Ive, Cornwall
Client: The Story of Emily
Architect: Stonewood Design
Collaborators:
Architect (the rectory): Le Page
Landscape Architect: LT Studio
Area:
Blackthorn Grange Area: 203 sqm
Cafe Area: 340 sqm
Chantry Area: 530 sqm
Outbuildings Area: 98 sqm
Staff Accommodation and Facilities Area: 300 sqm
War Rooms Area: 1880 sqm
Year of Completion: 2024