Number 7 Park Street
Rory Young led a life dedicated to the creation of beautiful art, carved lettering and sculpture.
His home at Number 7 Park Street, Cirencester embodies the spirit of that life. Every surface is a work of art, and every object within the house was selected with care. He has left a wonderful legacy in Number 7 Park Street, along with his workshop.
Adjoining the house is a courtyard, that Rory referred to as his ‘Court of Memory.’ Intended to be his legacy to Cirencester, it was left unfinished by his untimely death in February 2023.
Unlike other comparable houses, such as Cloud’s Hill (home of TE Lawrence), Kelmscott Manor (home of William Morris), Charleston (home of Duncan Grant and Vanessa Bell), no. 7 Park Street is virtually complete. It contains a vast array of Rory’s possessions, his models, materials and tools, his collections of found objects, much of his art and his books, just as he left it.
When coupled with the extensive archive of his life and work, it forms a detailed account that is quite unique in the 21st century. In an age of increasing digitalisation where craft skills are in decline, it is likely to be one of the last, if not the last of its kind.
The Trust has been formed in Rory’s name to find ways of keeping his house, workshop and collections intact, as a place of inspiration for those who shared his interests in art, craft and conservation.
Using the detailed plans he left, the Trust also intends to complete Rory’s ‘Court of Memory’ through the training of young craftspeople in his name.
The house will become a living museum where visitors can get a sense of a visionary, creative mind, his books, his works of art and sit and talk around the kitchen table as Rory did with so many visitors, from craftspeople to royalty over the decades.
Our trustee James Howley has prepared a conservation plan which describes the history, significance and condition of the house in detail.
Rory read and approved every page of this thorough and substantial document and was happy that it represented his wishes accurately. A summary of the aims of the plan appears in its preface and read as follows;
“To maintain Number 7 Park Street in the way Rory imagined and transformed it, as a place of inspiration, creation, manual and intellectual expression, exploration and education; for the practical use of everyone who shares his vision of how art, craft, construction, and conservation, can be practiced for the good of humanity.”
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