Inspiring Creative Communities with Heritage

Dead good repurposing

There have been some fantastic models of heritage repurposing in recent years. Victorian Laurie Baths in Lewisham was served by giant iron water tanks suspended above the elegant swimming pools (1st and 2nd class) next to Deptford Town Hall. By 2017 these were rusting and at risk. Goldsmiths Art College worked with Heritage of London Trust (HOLT) and other funders to restore and repurpose the tanks as an edgy new art gallery, Goldsmiths’ Centre for Contemporary Art, designed by Turner Prize-winning architects Assemble. There is open air sculpture in the smaller tanks and installations in the dark industrial iron riveted walls of the larger ones. The area is thriving with creative industries and new developments in the pipeline.

Also in south London, Peckham’s derelict Old Fire station, the first purpose-built fire station to survive in London, laid out in 1867 like a domestic house as the firemen lived there with their families, has been converted to another contemporary art gallery. Peckham Rye Station, nearby, is receiving a total makeover by Network Rail, reinstating the beautiful ironwork on these French Renaissance style buildings.

HOLT has 40 current projects and repurposing is at the core of them. In east London, HOLT is rescuing the last surviving Victorian funeral parlour in the east end. Stripped and damaged by successive owners after its sale in 2005, its original façade is being lovingly restored, down to the barley twist spindles being made by local east end woodturners and the recreation of the family’s gilt and black signboard: ‘Francis & C Walters – Funerals’. The funeral business itself has long moved away. Inside, the building will be a boutique burger bar, selling hellfire burgers.

Going for Green

Elsewhere in London, its 100 or so surviving Victorian drinking water fountains have long been dry, with broken spouts and masonry, cigarette stubs and discarded plastic bottles cluttering their bowls. HOLT has been restoring them over the last 18 months and enlisting young people in its mission. Frequently in busy public spaces, the process of bringing them back to life is simple – new piping and taps, restored stonework, a hook up to Thames Water and twice monthly maintenance. Children have embraced these bite-sized environmental projects on their doorstep, helping reduce single-use plastic. Six HOLT fountains have completed and eight more are on the way.

Proud Places

Repurposing and sustainability, plus a dose of imagination and flair, is at the core of HOLT’s Proud Places programme. Launched during the pandemic, this education programme has involved over 500 young people from challenging backgrounds in workshops and visits. Children have a go at stonemasonry and other heritage crafts as well as learning about local history. A traditional green cabmen’s shelter being restored by HOLT near Albert Bridge has had 40 school pupils learning about cabbie history from the charity that runs the shelters.

With energy and creativity heritage sites can revitalise communities. With renewed appreciation for local neighbourhoods, never has their impact looked so bright.

Knight Frank has been a major donor of HOLT for the last three years: and is sponsor of the Francis & C Walters funeral parlour project in east London.

Stephen Clifton, Partner, Head of Commercial said: “We are big fans of Heritage of London Trust projects - they are doing a brilliant job at rescuing our often overlooked built environment.”

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