Charles Brooking

 

Spotted by an International

Architects Practice

charles brooking

Charles Brooking is a fascinating and knowledgeable collector of architectural detail, The Brooking Collection of Architectural Detail, and as a Chartered Surveyor 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 Chartered 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.

Chartered Surveyor: After your television exposure on Collecting Now and articles in the press did you find more interest in your collection of architectural detail?

Charles Brooking : Yes all the publicity was good and I managed to give a good enough impression to attract the attention of some leading international architects in Guildford who said they were interested in my collection. What I didn't know was they had an office building they wanted to convert into a major corporate headquarters called Bradstone Brook. The practice approached me offering me job with a salary and space for my museum in the basement at Bradstone Brook which was a commodious space with shelving and boards. However it was nothing like that, but they sponsored me, this is the point.

charles brooking

I left the Building Conservation Trust and joined them and I was sponsored by them and that made me freelance almost. It was unbelievable because I was paid for doing what I liked, I still didn't drive, and I just went berserk travelling all over the place! I had school friends helping me by this time, Robert Watson and other people used to come on the train and help me carry things back.

However my father became extremely worried because the collection was getting bigger and bigger in fact during those years the rescues were unbelievable. Unfortunately, the space being offered wasn't great and their interest was failing fast, they had got the permission to convert the building but I was rather a thorn in their side really, as they didn't really want a museum in their basement; they wanted their files and their archive instead.

charles brooking

I was the butt of some ridicule by some of the architects including at a Christmas party when I was lampooned in a sketch, as being this weird eccentric who collected all the rubbish which was most upsetting. Rescuing architectural detail was a difficult occupation for others to understand then today this has changed as in more recent times it has become so popular then the reaction to my collection was very upsetting.

charles brooking

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.

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References:

TheBrookingCollection.com DartfordArchive.org.uk IHBC.org.uk ProjectBook.co.uk

Independent Surveyors

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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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