The Lodger in Hackford Road, Stockwell (Vincent van Gogh)

The lodging house

 During 1873 and 1874 a nineteen year old Vincent van Gogh lodged in the house at 87 Hackford Road, Stockwell. He had never left home before, but had been found a job in Convent Garden. He walked there and back each day.

The house is just off the Brixton Road, a wide expanse with houses set back off the road. Back in those days the River Effra flowed along it. Not a pleasant river as it was full of sewage and probably smelled to high heaven. The river was eventually built over, but it's there under the road, and is one of the 'lost rivers' of London. There is a walking route you can follow.

Found this fascinating church on the corner of Brixton Road

The tour of the house began there on the Brixton Road and then we viewed the back of the house from another road to see the butterfly roof, which was supposed to stop fires spreading between houses. There is a gutter between, but in winter leaves would congregate and water would come into the house.

Mrs Loyer's room

The house was a lodging house owned by Mrs Loyer. Her husband had died, and running a boarding house was only one of two things she could do as a woman. The other was to teach. She did that too as she turned the front room into a school for twelve little boys. Her daughter also lived in the house.

The two roms downstairs - the front was where the boys' school was. The back room was for cooking and dining.

Display cabinet in the downstairs room.

Vincent van Gogh was a prolific letter writer and wrote about his time in Stockwell. His room was upstairs at the front of the house on the second floor. A large room with two windows. Later on his sister came to stay and took the back bedroom overlooking the garden.

Vincent's bedroom

The back room downstairs is where food was cooked after being prepared in the back parlour (now extended and used as an office, kitchen and small gift shop). The floorboards from the original parlour can be seen on the hall wall. There was also an outside toilet, but not a flushing one. Night soilmen came to empty the waste. This was taken to use as fertiliser.

The original parlour floorboards

Having had many owners since van Gogh's time, the house doesn't have any original furniture, and has been updated so that it can be used as an artist's residency for several months at a time. On the first floor was Mrs Loyer's room, and behind it would have been her bedroom which she shared with her daughter. These days that is a modern bathroom.

This would have been Vincent' sister's room

The modern bathroom, once Mrs Loyer's bedroom

In van Gogh's room, there is a cutaway in the floorboards with a glass panel. Inside are contents found under floorboards and left by other residents in the past. Papers were found in the attic, and further research had been done by an artist which proved van Gogh had lived here. The house was only opened in 2019.

Downstairs are cabinets with documents relating to the house, some of which are inside sliding drawers. The little toilet has the original toilet seat (on the wall, not to sit on!) from the outside toilet. It is said that it came from Reading Jail.

The garden is pretty with a vine and sunflowers (of course!). Vincent apparently planted some seeds himself, but had left before he saw them grow.

The garden

Back of house - note butterfly roof

Vincent and his sister left the house in a hurry, and there were rumours about why. Had Vincent fallen in love with Mrs Loyer, or her daughter? Obviously it wasn't reciprocated. But no one really knows what happened. Brother and sister stayed somewhere quite close by. Vincent tried his hand in another job and was sacked. And before he became a painter, he also tried the priesthood, which didn't suit either. The rest is history. While he was living in Stockwell he was very happy, evident from his letters to his mother and brother Theo.

The tour takes an hour and a quarter. There is also another tour, a walking one, which follows in the steps of Vincent from his work place in Covent Garden to the house, said to be about three and half miles. The house is only open on certain days, so please check the website first.