The Norman Nicholson House Project
WELCOME to the website of the Norman Nicholson House project. We're working to repair and renovate Nicholson's lifelong home in Millom and turn it into a place which will celebrate his life and work, and also make a lively contribution to the town and our community.
Christmas at Nicholson House
If you're in Millom this Christmas, please take a moment to walk down St George's Terrace and take a look at our festive display in the front window of Nicholson House. The display contains two Christmas trees which illustrate two different aspects of Norman Nicholson’s life. The smaller tree is a reconstruction of a tree of the 1920s to represent the time when Norman was a small boy. This period of his life is remembered by him in his poem Comprehending it Not. The poem recalls the time he and his father Joe Nicholson went to live at his grandmother’s house while number 14 underwent alterations prior to Joe’s marriage to Rose Sobey in 1922.
December, 1921. Seven years of age,
And my mother dead - the house in mourning,
The shop shut up for Christmas - I
Was fobbed off to my Grandma's with my Christmas Tree
Bundled under my arm....
From Comprehending it Not in Sea to the West (1981).
The decorations on the larger tree are inspired by Nicholson’s poem Carol for the Watchers from No Star On The Way Back (1967), previously part of the Christmas Tree Festival at St George’s Church.
Our thanks go to Sue Dawson and Janice Brockbank for putting the display together, and to Don Brockbank and Tony (Shep) Shepherd for putting together a structure within the window to enable the display to be created.
December, 1921. Seven years of age,
And my mother dead - the house in mourning,
The shop shut up for Christmas - I
Was fobbed off to my Grandma's with my Christmas Tree
Bundled under my arm....
From Comprehending it Not in Sea to the West (1981).
The decorations on the larger tree are inspired by Nicholson’s poem Carol for the Watchers from No Star On The Way Back (1967), previously part of the Christmas Tree Festival at St George’s Church.
Our thanks go to Sue Dawson and Janice Brockbank for putting the display together, and to Don Brockbank and Tony (Shep) Shepherd for putting together a structure within the window to enable the display to be created.
Oh, and while you're there, take a look upwards and you'll see the that the famous blue plaque, first installed after Nicholson's death in 1987, has been restored and returned to the exterior of the building. Thanks again go to Don for his expertise in doing this for us.
Meanwhile the annual Christmas Tree Festival in St George’s Church is now open with over 60 trees on display. St Luke’s church in Haverigg and Holy Trinity church in Millom also have their own Christmas Tree festivals this year.
The window display at No 14 will be changing in January in order to provide an update on the Nicholson House project.
6/12/2025 Photos: SUE DAWSON
The window display at No 14 will be changing in January in order to provide an update on the Nicholson House project.
6/12/2025 Photos: SUE DAWSON
Change of direction for our project
We have to announce that our plans for Norman Nicholson's house have been scaled down as a result of funding difficulties.
We launched this project to buy and restore the Victorian terraced house in Millom in 2016 and we've succeeded in buying the house and repairing the exterior including a new roof, completed earlier this year. But now we have had to revise further plans after a series of funding rejections.
This means that our intention to build a three-storey extension at the rear of the building has been abandoned and instead we will focus on refurbishing the house as it currently stands.
Project chair Charlie Lambert said: ‘We always knew that our aims were ambitious and make no apology for that. But we also recognise the reality of the funding landscape and it’s clear that our project as originally envisaged is asking too much. So we’re now looking to concentrate on the house within its current footprint. We will reduce the amount we’re requesting from funding organisations but retain the same objectives – to create a lively museum to celebrate Nicholson’s work, provide a focus for creativity, and a hub for community activities in Millom.
‘We will take a bit of time to consult our advisors and then look forward to moving ahead with our revised project.’
20/8/25
We launched this project to buy and restore the Victorian terraced house in Millom in 2016 and we've succeeded in buying the house and repairing the exterior including a new roof, completed earlier this year. But now we have had to revise further plans after a series of funding rejections.
This means that our intention to build a three-storey extension at the rear of the building has been abandoned and instead we will focus on refurbishing the house as it currently stands.
Project chair Charlie Lambert said: ‘We always knew that our aims were ambitious and make no apology for that. But we also recognise the reality of the funding landscape and it’s clear that our project as originally envisaged is asking too much. So we’re now looking to concentrate on the house within its current footprint. We will reduce the amount we’re requesting from funding organisations but retain the same objectives – to create a lively museum to celebrate Nicholson’s work, provide a focus for creativity, and a hub for community activities in Millom.
‘We will take a bit of time to consult our advisors and then look forward to moving ahead with our revised project.’
20/8/25
Generous donation to our project
Many thanks to the Nicholson aficionado from Carlisle who has just donated £500 to our project. This is a really generous gesture and gives our team great encouragement. On a similar theme, our online crowdfunder which we ran a couple of years ago is still active so anyone wishing to make a contribution to the project to protect and promote Norman's house is more than welcome to do so here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/breathe-new-life-into-norman-nicholsons-house
1/8/25
1/8/25
More media coverage for our project
Repairs to exterior completed on schedule
New look to No 14. Photo: SUE DAWSON
Repairs to the exterior of Norman Nicholson House have been completed on schedule – and a new look to the 140-year-old building has been revealed. Our £99,000 project to carry out vital repairs to the exterior included installing a new slate roof, strengthening the chimney stack and dormer, replacing the windows, drainpipes and gutters, and returning the lay-out of the front of the building to its original design. We’re extremely grateful to South Copeland GDF Community Partnership and Cumberland Council/UK Shared Prosperity Fund for providing the funding to carry out the work.
more details and photos on our NEWS page.
8/4/2025
more details and photos on our NEWS page.
8/4/2025
'A fantastic local asset' says MP Michelle Scrogham
Barrow-in-Furness MP Michelle Scrogham has given her full backing to our project, describing Norman Nicholson House as 'a fantastic local asset'. Michelle's constituency, newly created at the 2024 General Election, includes Millom. She said: 'This is an important project which will bring benefits for our region, helping to attract people to the town to find out more about Norman Nicholson and the area that inspired him. Norman Nicholson House will also be a fantastic local asset offering a vital community space for the use of voluntary sector groups, schools and others.'
To reinforce the point, this week we've been pleased to host a visit to Millom and Nicholson House by students from the University of Cumbria - more details HERE.
Michelle, born in Ulverston where she ran the fashion shop Pure in Market Street, has first-hand knowledge of Millom having been based in the town for a spell while working in banking. She's also up to speed with the literary world, as one of the organisers of the annual Ulverston Dickensian Festival.
It's very good news for us that our MP is so enthusiastic about the project. She's the latest significant person to put their support on the record, joining many more including fellow politicians Baroness Sue Hayman and former Copeland MP Trudy Harrison, broadcasters Melvyn Bragg, Eric Robson and Stuart Maconie, director of Wordsworth Grasmere Michael McGregor, director of the Brantwood Trust Howard Hull, and 'Morse' and 'Lewis' actor Kevin Whately.
25/3/25
To reinforce the point, this week we've been pleased to host a visit to Millom and Nicholson House by students from the University of Cumbria - more details HERE.
Michelle, born in Ulverston where she ran the fashion shop Pure in Market Street, has first-hand knowledge of Millom having been based in the town for a spell while working in banking. She's also up to speed with the literary world, as one of the organisers of the annual Ulverston Dickensian Festival.
It's very good news for us that our MP is so enthusiastic about the project. She's the latest significant person to put their support on the record, joining many more including fellow politicians Baroness Sue Hayman and former Copeland MP Trudy Harrison, broadcasters Melvyn Bragg, Eric Robson and Stuart Maconie, director of Wordsworth Grasmere Michael McGregor, director of the Brantwood Trust Howard Hull, and 'Morse' and 'Lewis' actor Kevin Whately.
25/3/25
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PHOTO CREDITS: Sue Dawson, Charlie Lambert, Dorothy Lambert, John Troll, Raymond Troll, Brian Whalley, plus copyright-free images from www.unsplash.com |
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