The long-awaited restoration of Brockwell Hall, the jewel in the park’s crown, is finally under way. The cafe is gone but is still open nearby (see picture).
This is the first step on the way to restoring the best rooms in the Hall for community access and use. We can look forward to exhibitions in these spaces and public hire and to a lovely new cafe opening out into Stable Yard at the back of the house. Re-opening is projected to be in summer/autumn 2024.
Background to the project:
The big holdup had been the lack of accommodation for the council’s parks department, who have been occupying the Hall for several years. The plan was to move them to a depot by the Norwood Lodge entrance to the Park, but the building of the new facility faced many delays. That has finally opened, the staff moving in this month, leaving the Hall empty. On Wednesday 28 June, clearing the building began, and by Friday 30 June it was almost an empty shell, waiting for the restoration team to begin work. Worryingly, there was a Lambeth pest control truck outside on the Friday …
In March 2021, the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) awarded Lambeth a grant of up to £3,300,800 towards the restoration of Brockwell Hall and related capital and revenue work streams. The grant constitutes 52% of the total estimated total costs of £6,310,943. The Council has to find the balance. The construction period is expected to last just over a year, but major projects such as this have a tendency to overrun.
The tender for the restoration works at Brockwell Hall has come in over budget, leading to parts of the project being scrapped, Brixton Buzz reports. As a result, the Council has removed the stable block and landscaping from the project to stay within budget.
The main building will be refurbished and restored to provide multi-purpose use spaces, including exhibitions, business and community events, a café, offices for events staff, and accommodation for local volunteers. Connected to the main building, an events space will be constructed within the stable yard area, accommodating 160 people and available for hire for weddings and other events.
Brockwell Hall is 210 years old this year. It was commissioned by John Blades, creator of the Brockwell estate, and built 1811–1813, to the design of architect David Riddall Roper (1773–1855).
