Charles Brooking

 

Major rescue from Pentonville Prison,

Caledonian Road , London N7

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: Did you rescue any architectural details from Pentonville Prison?

Charles Brooking : Yes, at Pentonville Prison I was called in by English Heritage to the Hospital wing. That was an experience! We went up there and I retrieved cell doors from this building which was in the centre of the prison. I had to go through about three gates and we was locked in. Then there were another three gates and locked in again!

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: Is the prison a Listed building?

Charles Brooking : Yes, it was grim to see these great blocks of buildings and all of the humanity incarcerated therein particularly as it was raining hard at the time of my visit. The whole thing was grim, the streets, roofs and the damp and stock brick walls blackened. It was quite a depressing experience plus I had to have someone with me. So with all things combined it was very gloomy and depressing but I came home a very interesting rescue. The building was built about 1865.

Surveyor: Did you rescue any original doors?

Charles Brooking : Original doors yes.

Surveyor: Please describe the doors.

Charles Brooking : They were wooden construction with bead above panels, studs and then on the inside lined which sheet iron bolted through with a little panel that lowers. You lower down to look in and see the prisoner and bars on the outside of that little door with a spy hole for a quick look, that type of thing. It was very grim, you know really depressing stuff but it gives you an idea of my rescue on a grey day, a damp English November day, soaking rain with slate roofs reflecting the greyness back at you it was quite atmospheric. I did take photographs.

Surveyor: Did you have any windows?

Charles Brooking : Yes, I've got a rolled iron window from inside behind the bars when the patented rolling glazing bars after the Bessemer Process mid 19th century, they could actually roll iron and form glazing bars with different mouldings on them and this was a rolled iron glazing bar and jointed.

Surveyor: Who manufactured that?

Charles Brooking : I don't know. It wasn't marked, but interesting. This is the trouble, so much stuff wasn't marked. Burton Potts were one of the largest manufacturers, that was a more recent one.

I went to the Odeon in Wimbledon and retrieved Crittall windows, doors, Art Deco details.

Surveyor: Art Deco cinemas?

Charles Brooking : Yes. I rescued items from one in Streatham I retrieved a whole lot of architraves and Art Deco details.

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:

Builders, Building Problems and Roofs and how a Surveyor can help

Building Control Approval

Are Surveys better than Valuations?

Buying a house

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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