Mr Straw's House: A Preserved Edwardian Family Home in Worksop

A Time Capsule of Interwar Britain

Mr Straw's House, located at 5-7 Blyth Grove in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, is a rare and evocative Edwardian semi-detached home built around 1905. The house became the residence of the Straw family in 1923 and has remained virtually unchanged since then. The National Trust took ownership in 1990, preserving the house and its remarkable collection of approximately 30,000 everyday objects exactly as the family left them. This preservation offers visitors an unparalleled window into the domestic life of a prosperous grocer’s family during the interwar period.

The Story of the Straw Family

William Straw and his brother Benjamin established a successful grocer’s business in Worksop in the late 19th century. William married Florence Ann Winks in 1896, and the couple moved into the Blyth Grove house in 1923. The family lived a frugal, make-do-and-mend lifestyle, which contributed to the house’s remarkable state of preservation. After Florence’s death in 1939, William and his brother Walter continued to live there without modernising the home. William’s death in 1990 led to the house and its contents being generously bequeathed to the National Trust, ensuring the family’s legacy would endure.

Authentic Interiors and Everyday Treasures

The house’s interior reflects the tastes and domestic arrangements of the 1920s. Visitors encounter original features such as Art Nouveau stained glass in the front door, Sanderson wallpaper, and electric light fittings installed by the family. Rooms like the masculine dining room with its slate fireplace contrast with the feminine parlour decorated by Florence. The kitchen and bathroom remain simple and functional, with original fittings including a butler sink and minimal cupboards. The bedrooms, especially the parents’ room, retain personal items and furnishings untouched since the 1930s.

Gardens and Outdoor Spaces

The back garden complements the house’s period charm, featuring a greenhouse housing Walter Straw’s extensive cacti collection and an orchard with fruit trees once used by the family for preserves. The garden also includes an outside toilet for servants and a reconstructed conservatory, adding to the authentic domestic environment. The garden invites visitors to appreciate the Straw family’s connection to nature and their hobbies.

Visitor Experience and Conservation Efforts

Visitors explore Mr Straw’s House through small, timed self-led tours that allow close inspection of the rooms and objects. The National Trust’s dedicated Collections & House team actively cares for the vast collection, often sharing insights about conservation and the family’s history. The house also features large-print guides and monthly guided walks through Worksop, tracing the family’s footsteps around the town. The preservation of this modest home offers a compelling contrast to grander historic properties, focusing instead on the intimate and personal history of everyday life.

Legacy and Cultural Significance

Mr Straw’s House stands as a unique cultural heritage site, capturing a slower, simpler pace of life from nearly a century ago. It is one of the National Trust’s first small domestic properties and remains a vital resource for understanding middle-class life in early 20th-century England. Its extensive collection of household items, furniture, and personal effects continues to inspire historians, conservationists, and visitors alike, providing a deeply human story of family, memory, and preservation.