Saving Home Head House

Holme Head House was originally the manager’s house for the adjacent riverside works in Denton Holme. Over its long life it has been many things: a doctor’s surgery, a pub and from 2012 onward, a magical, artistic, child‑centred home shaped by Emmy and Roger. For more than a decade, it became a place where imagination, craft, community and childhood thrived.

With the building now closed and its future uncertain, the community has a rare chance to protect this legacy. A community‑led rescue and social‑enterprise initiative is forming to keep Holme Head House rooted in Denton Holme as a place for creativity, learning, wellbeing, heritage and everyday community life.

This is a moment to safeguard a beloved local landmark and shape its next chapter together.

Protecting a Local Landmark

Holme Head House is a historic grade II listed building and a beloved part of Denton Holme’s identity.

Its artistic, child‑centred transformation by Emmy and Roger; has become a place of imagination, craft and community.

The building’s future is now uncertain with a rare chance to save it.

A Community‑Led Rescue

Local residents, families, educators, community leaders and official representatives and partners are coming together to explore community ownership.

The aim is to protect the building’s heritage, honour its creative legacy and keep Holme Head House rooted in Denton Holme for generations to come.

A Vision for Community

The future of Holme Head House would continue to support arts and making spaces as it has done for the last 10 years.

However, the future use could expand to include wellbeing, creative learning, cooking, skill development, storytelling, sport and leisure and inclusive community use.

This is a chance to shape a practical, welcoming, multi‑use space that reflects the needs and hopes of local people and communities for generations.

Heritage & the Story of Denton Holme

Denton Holme sits at the heart of Carlisle’s industrial story. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the area was powered by the River Caldew, which once drove around fifteen mills and workshops along its banks, weaving, dyeing, engineering and textile production that shaped the city’s growth. The Caldew was the lifeblood of this neighbourhood, carrying both industry and identity through generations.

Its walls hold the memory of Carlisle’s working heritage, now intertwined with the creative, child‑centred legacy that Emmy and Roger later brought to life.

Protecting the house means protecting a thread of the city’s story past, present and future woven together.

The Heart of Holme Head House

For more than a decade, Emmy and Roger shaped Holme Head House into a creative, child‑centred haven for families across Carlisle.

Emmy brought her lifelong dedication to early‑years education and the Reggio Emilia approach, while Roger’s craft and spatial design helped transform the old manager’s house into a place of imagination, making and community warmth.

Together, they created an environment where children explored freely, families felt welcomed and creativity was woven into everyday life. Their work became a quiet but powerful part of Denton Holme’s identity; a legacy rooted in care, craft and community.

The community‑led rescue now seeks to honour and protect the space they built.

Guiding principles

Protect the Heart: Creativity, Childhood and Community

Holme Head House will continue the spirit that Emmy and Roger nurtured; a place shaped by imagination, care and hands‑on creativity. Every decision honours the warmth, welcome and child‑centred ethos they built, ensuring the house remains a space where people feel safe to explore, make, learn and belong.

Community Ownership with Purpose

The building’s future is rooted in local stewardship. Community ownership ensures that Holme Head House remains an asset to the community; culturally, socially and economically with benefits flowing back into Denton Holme and surrounding areas. Its spaces support social enterprise, local makers, educators and small organisations whose work strengthens the community.

Shared Spaces, Shared Stewardship

Holme Head House is a flexible, multi‑purpose home for creativity, wellbeing, heritage and everyday community life. Its rooms are shaped collaboratively, used collaboratively and cared for collaboratively. The building remains open, welcoming and inclusive. A place where people of all ages and backgrounds can gather, create and contribute.

A flexible community hub

Holme Head House stands beside the river as a place where imagination once found its home and can do so again.

The spirit that Emmy and Roger built into its walls still lingers: creativity, care and community woven together through art, play and everyday kindness. Now, that story can open wider.

Its rooms can continue the work they began, spaces shaped by craft and curiosity, ready to welcome new generations of makers, learners and neighbours. Adaptable and practical, the building lends itself to creative studios, learning workshops, wellbeing rooms and shared heritage displays that celebrate Denton Holme’s industrial and artistic roots.

Under a social‑enterprise model, Holme Head House can host local makers, educators and small enterprises, not for profits and charities whose work benefits Carlisle directly. It can serve as a base for inclusive arts, early‑years creativity, intergenerational learning and neighbourhood wellbeing keeping local benefit central while honouring the area’s artistic, industrial and cultural story.

This is not about changing what exists, but letting it breathe again; preserving the heart that Emmy and Roger built while expanding its reach. A living, working house beside the river, nurturing creativity, belonging and everyday community life.

Arts & Creativity

Holme Head House remains a place where imagination and craft meet. Its rooms can host artists, makers and educators, continuing Emmy and Roger’s vision of creativity rooted in care. Workshops, exhibitions and collaborative projects will celebrate local talent and nurture new voices.

Heritage & Storytelling

The building’s history and the stories of those who shaped it will be woven into its future. Through oral histories, archives and creative interpretation, Holme Head House can become a living museum of Denton Holme’s industrial and artistic past; a space where heritage inspires new creation.

Wellbeing & Community

Emmy and Roger built a home that felt safe, warm and human. That ethos continues through spaces for wellbeing, reflection and connection; from gentle movement, mindfulness and yoga sessions to community support groups and intergenerational gatherings that strengthen local bonds.

STEAM Education

Holme Head House can bridge creativity and learning, offering hands‑on experiences in science, technology, engineering, arts and maths. Children and adults alike can explore how making, design and innovation connect to the building’s industrial roots and future opportunities.

Skills development

The site can empower local people with practical and creative skills from traditional crafts and carpentry to digital design and sustainable enterprise. Training and mentoring programmes will help residents build confidence, employment pathways and pride in local craftsmanship.

Sport & Leisure

The riverside setting invites movement and play. Outdoor areas can host community walks, cycling and family activities that connect wellbeing with nature. The aim is to make Holme Head House a place of balance where creativity, inspiration and physical health coexist.

Inclusive spaces

Holme Head House will remain open and welcoming to everyone. Accessibility, affordability and representation guide its future design. It will be a space where all voices are heard and where diversity strengthens the creative and social fabric of the community.

Community Outreach

The rescue effort extends beyond the building itself. Partnerships with schools, charities and local groups will bring Holme Head House’s ethos into the wider city; sharing resources, hosting events and building networks that keep creativity and community flowing through Carlisle.

Ways to help protect Holme Head House

In December 2025, Emmy and Roger closed the doors of Holme Head House. After decades of shaping a place filled with imagination, care and childhood wonder, they are stepping into a well‑earned retirement. Their decision is natural, we are all bound by time and the news was devastating for the many families, children and neighbours who saw Holme Head House as a creative anchor in Denton Holme. When the for sale sign went up, it felt like the end of an era.

In April 2025, a local resident stepped forward, struck the match and lit the first spark of hope. That spark has not stayed small. One by one, people have joined parents, former pupils, neighbours, artists, educators, local groups each adding their voice, their skills, their belief that Holme Head House should remain part of the community it shaped.

What began as a single act has become a growing movement. Each day, more people come forward. Each day, the circle widens. Saving Holme Head House is a rare opportunity, the kind that comes once in a generation and it will take local leaders, schools, organisations, volunteers and officials working side by side to protect this beacon of Denton Holme and secure its future for the community it has always served.

A place restored by two people is now being carried by the many.

If you'd like to get involved

There’s a place here for everyone; whether you want to help, share ideas or stay connected as the story grows. Reach out any time.

community@holmeheadhouse.co.uk

Leaders

Help guide the direction of the rescue effort. Leaders bring steadiness, local knowledge and a willingness to hold responsibility lightly but clearly. You might support with community outreach, shaping partnerships, coordinating strands of work or helping us navigate the practical steps ahead.

We’ll match roles to your time, skills and comfort.

Champions

Champions help spread the word, the storytellers, connectors and encouragers. You might share updates, talk to neighbours, help gather memories or raise awareness in your networks.

Every conversation strengthens the circle and helps the movement grow.

Small actions make a big difference.

Volunteers

Volunteers are the hands and heart of the effort. Whether you can help with events, research, gentle admin, fundraising or simply show up when needed, you’ll be part of the team keeping momentum alive.

There’s a place for every level of time and energy.

Support

Supporters are the wider circle, the people who believe in the vision and want to stand with the community.

You might share posts, attend events, offer encouragement or simply stay connected as the story unfolds.

Belonging starts with showing up in whatever way you can.

Join our Facebook group; Friends of Holme Head House

If you’d like to support the initiative in any way: fundraising, spreading the word, getting involved in community engagement or sharing your memories, stories or photos - we’d love to hear from you.