Charles Brooking
Major Rescue from Buckingham
Palace Mansions, London SW1
Charles Brooking is a fascinating and knowledgeable collector of architectural detail, The Brooking Collection of Architectural Detail, and as Surveyors we find his lifelong quest to collect British building details unique, informative and valuable and a collection that must be kept intact for years to come. If you need help and advice with regard to building surveys, structural surveys, structural reports, engineers reports, specific defects report, dilapidations or any other property matters please free phone 0800 298 5424.
The following is one of a series of interviews with Charles Brooking, Historic and Listed Buildings Detail Expert, The Brooking Collection of Architectural Detail and a Surveyor where we have recorded his comments and various aspects that have affected windows and doors and other collectibles. The interviews outline how his collection started and built over the years and gives an insight into the amazing architectural features housed in his fine collection.
Surveyor: Buckingham Palace Mansions was next on your list of rescues?
Charles Brooking: Yes, my next rescue was in Eccleston Street off Buckingham Palace Road in SW1. In 1974 they demolished Buckingham Palace Mansions which were used in the film, The Ipcress File, I think; they were built by the Middle Class Dwellings Company in 1891.
Rescue defined
Charles Brooking defines a rescue as saving a window or door or staircase that would be doomed.
Charles Brooking was a pioneer in the rescue of architectural detailing as many years ago it was very much considered a strange and an unusual past time to want to rescue old parts of buildings with everything new and shiny being so important.
The Ipcress File
The Ipcress File is a 1965 British espionage J. Arthur Rank film starring Michael Caine, Guy Doleman and Nigel Green directed by Sidney J Furie and filmed in many locations in central London.
Surveyor: They were called The Middle Class Dwellings Company?
Charles Brooking: Yes, the firm who built it was surprisingly called The Middle Class Dwellings Company, which is totally not politically correct today! They built Buckingham Palace Mansions, a series of mansions on two the floors, apartments if you like, very lavishly appointed and they were demolished. It was very interesting because I found the original architects drawings in the basements.
Surveyor: They were fantastic drawings in those days weren't they?
Charles Brooking: Yes.
Surveyor: Were they in watercolour?
Charles Brooking: No, these were on tracing paper which of course had decayed to some degree and had that typical smell of old books!
Surveyor: Yes I remember it well!
Charles Brooking: Which is nice but it can get rather tedious when you are working with it all the time and little bits come off; it's forever dusty isn't it? It is an acquired taste that sort of archive material because it is very dusty and I have recovered a lot of material from there!
If you found this article on The Brooking Collection of Architectural Detail interesting you may also be interested in the following articles on our website:
Major rescue at St George's Hospital, London SW1
Major rescue in Woodbridge Road, Guildford, Surrey
Cavity Wall Problems
Accessing Chimneys
Common Chimney Problems
References:
TheBrookingCollection.com
DartfordArchive.org.uk
IHBC.org.uk
ProjectBook.co.uk
Independent Surveyors
If you truly do want an independent expert opinion from a surveyor with regard to building surveys, structural surveys, structural reports, engineers reports, specific defects report, dilapidations or any other property matters please contact 0800 298 5424 for a surveyor to give you a call back.
Commercial Property Surveyors
If you have a commercial property, be it leasehold or freehold, then you may wish to look at our Dilapidations Website at www.DilapsHelp.com and for Disputes go to our Disputes Help site www.DisputesHelp.com.
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