Charles Brooking

 

Major Rescue in Woodbridge

Road, Guildford (by dark of night)

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: When did you start collecting the balustrades, were they part of your collection originally?

Charles Brooking: I started recovering staircase balustrades, as I forgot my first newel post in 1966 from number 1 Dapdune Crescent, Woodbridge Road, Guildford which was built by a local builder for large commodious upper middle class dinners and this one was derelict.

It was the first rescue I ever did rather unlawfully going there at night. The building had been derelict from 1948 right the way through the 1960's and I went in, in the late 60's when it was completely broken up and I recovered these bits.

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.

Surveyor: You have actually got complete staircases in your collection haven't you?

Charles Brooking : I have got part, large sections or whole staircases. I recovered a staircase recently from Milton Court, Virginia Water which went back to the 1720's with hand carved ramped hand rails, newel post cluster at the end, barley twist balusters - usually you can see this type of quality early Georgian. Now I've got a complete range of staircases including examples from 50 Liverpool Street, the offices to Liverpool Street Station 1875.

Surveyor: Were they timber?

Charles Brooking: They are cast iron balusters originally set in stone with an oak handrail. I've got a very good cross-section of Regency staircases too.

Surveyor: What makes a staircase Regency?

Charles Brooking : Well the hand rail detail the square balusters, stick balusters.

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 Parade Street, Paddington, London

Henry Hope window manufacturers and other manufacturers

Building Control Approval

Cavity Wall Problems

Chimney Issues

Common Pitched Roofs

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.

We hope you found the article of use and if you have any experiences that you feel should be added to this article that would benefit others, or you feel that some of the information that we have put is wrong then please do not hesitate to contact us (we are only human).

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