Charles Brooking

  

Published Far and Wide

charles brooking

Charles Brooking is a fascinating and knowledgeable collector of architectural detail, The Brooking Collection of Architectural Detail, and as Surveyosr 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: Which publications has your rescue work been featured in?

Charles Brooking : The first publication my rescue work was featured in was when I wrote to Dan Cruikshank in 1977. They called me Charles Booking, getting my name wrong! I was listed in the Architects Journal too.

Rescue defined

charles brooking

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 : Was it a good article. Was it enthusiastic? 

Charles Brooking: Charles Brooking has preserved items for his private museum in Guildford was about the extent of it but it was a beginning.

The local paper did an article on Students Collection of Victoriana.

Surveyor: Did they get your name right?

Charles Brooking : They did. 

Surveyor : That's a step forward! 

charles brooking

Charles Brooking: It was all very Victorian and they liked the term Victoriana. It wasn't architectural detail. 

Surveyor: But now you've been in newspapers, magazines on the TV lots of times.

Charles Brooking: Yes, that's right

charles brooking

Rescuing items was a long hard struggle and a lonely one because in those days, it was unusual, it was quirky, particularly in Surrey where there aren't or weren't many eccentrics!  

Surveyor : Are you actually in the English Eccentrics Book?

Charles Brooking: Of course!

charles brooking

If you found this article on The Brooking Collection of Architectural Detail interesting you may also be interested in the following articles on our 1stAssociated.co.uk website:

The unhealthy alliance between local surveyors and estate agents

Surveys of Georgian buildings

Boundary Disputes

Major rescue at Cornwall Terrace, London

  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). The contents of the website are for general information only and is not intended to be relied upon for specific or general decisions. Appropriate independent professional advice should be paid for before making such a decision.

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