Teacher Trail 7 | Page 1

Home , Brook Green, Victorian architecture

BROOK GREEN

Start outside Lyric House, 149 Hammersmith Road. Opposite Brook Green.

Look at this photograph of Hammersmith Road taken in 1980.

1a. What can you see that is the same?

Lyric House on the right - the pillars to the entrance. Lyric House was the laboratory building for Cadby Hall. This was part of the J. Lyons factory complex which included ice cream factory, bakeries (for bread, swiss rolls, cakes and individual pies), delivery depot, supermarket and a tea shop.

1b. What has changed?

Cadby Hall, the building on the left, was demolished and redeveloped for ofﬁces and ﬂats in the 1980s. The site was originally taken over in 1873, by Charles Cadby and Co. who were piano makers. J Lyons took over the site in 1894 and over the next 80 years expanded until the whole area between Brook Green and Blythe Road became the Lyons’ complex.

Use the pedestrian crossing and go into Brook Green. (Left hand side)

Walk along to St. Joseph’s House.

Look for numbers 1 to 4 (at the back of the blocks of ﬂats).

2a. Do you like these buildings? YES NO

2b. Why?

Built in 1851 as St. Joseph’s Almshouses. These were houses built for the poor. Stone built (Kentish ragstone) with slate roofs. Gothic Revival style of architecture. See notes on architecture in the introduction. Listed Grade II. The two blocks of ﬂats in front (no’s 5-15 and 16-27) were completed in 1962.

The next building along is Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church. This kind of architecture is called GOTHIC.

3. Describe the building.

Listed Grade II. Built in 1851-53 - Victorian Gothic Revival in the style of 14th century Gothic architecture. Built of stone (Kentish ragstone) with steeply pitched roofs, pinnacles, pointed windows with decorative stone tracery and leaded glass.

Go across the road to the two red telephone boxes.

These were made in 1927.

4a. How long ago is that? years ago.

4b. How are they different to telephone boxes now?

Cast iron, heavy doors, domed roof, small panes of glass.

Look inside the boxes, ﬁnd a small brass plate above the telephone.

4c. Who designed these boxes?

Listed Grade II - designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott in 1927. They are examples of K2 kiosks. The ﬁrst Standard telephone kiosk was produced in 1920 and designated K1 (kiosk no.1). The K2 (kiosk no.2) was introduced in 1927.

Look for the Information Boards - on the Green behind the telephone boxes.

Read ‘The History of Brook Green’ and answer these questions.

5a. What kind of place was Brook Green originally?

Marsh land with a brook running through it.

5b. What was the name of the brook?

Black Bull Ditch or Parr’s Ditch. It turned westward after crossing the line of the present day Hammersmith Road and ﬂowed into the Thames south of Chancellors Wharf. It was the boundary between Hammersmith and Fulham.

5c. What has happened to the brook?

It became polluted so was culverted, covered over and converted into a sewer in 1876.

5d. How was this area used from the 18th to the middle of the 19th century?

Market gardening.

5e. Look at the map. How is the Green used now?

Dog exercise area. Toilet. Tennis courts. Open grass area for people. Picnic area. Cycle route. Toddler play area. Older children’s play area.

Go back to the church.

Look at this photograph of Brook Green taken in 1979.

Can you work out from where the photograph was taken?

6a. Has anything stayed the same?

Telephone kiosks.

6b. Has anything changed?

The buildings (Cadby Hall - the J Lyons factory complex) were demolished in the 1980s. They have been replaced by new housing (Windsor Way).

Walk past the entrance to the school.

7. What is the name of the school?

Larmenier and Sacred Heart Catholic School.

Find houses number 38 and 39.

Can you ﬁnd round iron covers on the ground? (by the steps)

8. What do you think these round holes were used for?

Coal hole covers. The houses (no’s 39 - 26) were built about 1840, when there was no electricity or gas. Coal was the power source for heating/cooking. Coal was delivered through these holes. The covers have interesting patterns and designs. Rubbings can be made of them. There are more at no’s 30 and 32.

Go along to houses number 28 and 29.

Look at the main railings at the bottom of the windows.

9a. Do you like them? YES NO

9b. Sketch or describe the iron railings here.

Original 1840 cast iron balconies and railings. There are a range of different designs/patterns along the terrace. The sketch could be a general drawing or a small section showing the detail.

Look at St. Paul’s Girls’ School.

There is a plaque on the entrance pillar. It says that a famous actor used to live here.

10a. What was his name?

Henry Irving lived on this site 1881 - 1889. He lived at The Grange which was demolished in order to build St. Paul’s Girls’ School. Sir Henry Irving was the ﬁrst actor to be knighted.

10b. Do you like the building? YES NO

10c. Why?

Listed Grade II (School and music annexe). School opened in 1903. Red brick and Portland stone. Highly decorated. Generally regarded as one of the best Edwardian school buildings in London.

The music wing was added in 1913 (right hand side building) and it was named after a famous composer.

10 d. What is the name of the composer?

Gustav Holst (1874 - 1934) the ﬁrst director of music, appointed in 1904. His works include The Planets 1914-17, St Paul’s Suite 1913 and Brook Green Suite 1933.

Look at this photograph of Brook Green taken in the 1920s.

11a. Do you think Brook Green has changed since then? YES NO

11b. What are the biggest changes?

Trafﬁc.

Walk along to houses numbered 18 and 17.

Houses no. 19 and 18 are examples of GEORGIAN architecture. Houses no. 17, 16 and 15 are examples of VICTORIAN architecture.

12a. Describe the houses.

No’s 19 and 18 No’s 17, 16 and 15 GEORGIAN VICTORIAN Listed Grade II. Highly decorated, lots of stucco, bay Built 1790s. windows. Plain, ‘ﬂat’ fronted, symmetrical, no Sash windows - large panes. ornamentation. Victorian 1837 - 1901. Sash windows - small panes. Georgian 1714 - 1830.

See notes on architecture in Introduction

12b. What do you think is the biggest difference between GEORGIAN and VICTORIAN architecture?

Amount of decoration.

12c. Which style do you like best?

12d Why?

Walk past the Queen’s Head Pub.

13. Who owns the pub now?

Chef and Brewer. Built around 1890.

Next to the pub there is a block of ﬂats called Queen’s Mansions.

14. When were they built?

1896. Date on top of the building.

Go along to Mercers Place.

15a. Do you think this is a new or old building?

NEW OLD

15b. Why?

New - built 1982-83. In the ‘Palladian’ style, based on the work of Andreas Palladio, Italian architect of the 16th century. Mercers - a mercer was a dealer in textile fabrics. Medieval mercers were involved in the exporting of woollen materials and the importing of luxury fabrics such as silk, linen and cloth of gold. The Mercers Company is the premier Guild of the City of London, established in 1394. The Mercers Place development was commissioned by the Mercers Company who own the land.

See notes on architecture in Introduction

Walk along to Shepherds Bush Road.

Look at this photograph taken about 1919.

16a. What has stayed the same?

Basic buildings and road.

16b. What has changed?

Trafﬁc lights. Amount of trafﬁc. Shop fronts (blinds).

Cross over Shepherds Bush Road. This small area is also part of Brook Green.

Number 1 Number 2 Number 3

This photograph shows the area in 1975.

The building (No. 1 in the photo) is still here.

17a. Who/What uses it today?

Access Storage Solutions. Built in 1915 - 16 as Ford Service Depot and Showroom (also known as the Citroen Building). Became part of Osram Lighting Works and subsequently M. O. Valves which was part of the General Electricity Company (GEC). The factory originally produced electric light bulbs. GEC undertook research and production of thermionic valves.

Building number 2 in the photograph is a tower with a green dome.

17b. What is the name on the dome?

Osram. It was part of the Osram Lighting factory. Built in 1920-1, a seven storey tower topped by a copper dome.

Look at building number 3.

17c. How has this building changed?

In the photo it is part of the Osram factory, demolished in 1988 and redeveloped as Tesco.

Cross back to Brook Green.

Look at the shops on Shepherds Bush Road.

Here are two extracts from Kelly’s Directories, one for 1895 and one for 1940. They tell you who lived at each address and what they did.

1895 1940

129 Harry Leopard, confectioner 129 James Fletcher Ltd., undertakers

127 John May, builder 127 Mrs. Stanhope, wardrobe dealer

125 Walter Besford, newsagent 125 Miss E. Blok, confectioner

123 Hermann Halliday, estate agent 123 H. Lewis & Co. (grocers), provision dealers

121 Miss Tracy, dressmaker 121 Lardell (Mrs A. V. Ward), dressmaker

119 Mrs. Mary Robert, 119 Samuel Ludski, hairdresser domestic agency

18a. Now complete this table by ﬁlling in how each shop is used now. The 1895 and 1940 columns can be completed at school.

1895 1940 NOW

129 confectioner

127

125

123

121 dressmaker

119

18b. How has the use of the shops changed over the years?

The inﬂuence of supermarkets on shopping habits. The loss of small local shops.

Go into Brook Green. Look at house number 101.

19. Can you see any clues to tell you that it was built a long time ago?

The ‘Old House’ name in the glass of the door. Local register, built in 1850.

20. Who uses number 100 now?

The British Red Cross, Hammersmith and Fulham Centre .

Go past Dunsany Road.

Find the place where this photograph was taken.

21. It was taken about 1906.

What is the same? What has changed? The buildings. Road - compacted earth and stones. Horse drawn trafﬁc. Clothing.

What do you think is the biggest change?

Look for house number 84.

22. There is a blue plaque on the wall. What does it tell us?

The Silver Design Studio, established in 1880, was set up here in 1884. Arthur Silver (1853 - 96) established a design studio for fabrics, wallpapers and book covers. He was later joined by his sons Reginald and Henry.

23. What was building number 71 used for?

Hammersmith and West London Synagogue. Built in 1890. Symbols on frontage. No longer in use as a synagogue.

Go on to the new block of ﬂats - Planetree Court.

This photograph was taken in about 1920.

24a. What has stayed the same?

Side of No 59 (Ecole Francaise). Victorian houses (55 - 57 and 52 - 54).

24b. What has changed?

Cottages demolished and Planetree Court built. Lack of trafﬁc. Horse drawn vehicle (far right of the photograph).

Look at number 59.

25a. Who uses this building now?

Ecole Francaise in London (plaque to left of door). It used to be known as High House. Local register, built in 1893 in the Queen Anne style of architecture.

See notes on architecture in Introduction

A famous writer, called Pevsner, said that this is “the best building” on this side of Brook Green.

25b. Do you agree? YES NO

25c. Why?

Sir Nikolaus Pevsner (1902-83) was an architectural historian. He conceived the idea for The Pevsner Architectural Guides in 1951. The aim was to produce an up-to-date guide to the most signiﬁcant buildings in every part of England. The success of the series covering The Buildings of England led to series on Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Go to the junction of Aynhoe Road and Brook Green.

Look at this photograph taken about 1900.

26. What are the biggest changes?

Cottages on left replaced by Aynhoe Mansions. Building with spire demolished, replaced by ﬂats. State of the road. Horse drawn carriage. Lack of trafﬁc.

Find house number 56.

The blue plaque tells us that Sir Frank Short lived here.

27. What was he famous for?

Engraver and painter. Sir Frank Short (1857 - 1945) was knighted in 1911.

Go on to house number 50.

This building has been used as a school and as a college.

28. Who uses the building now?

Virgin Megastore ofﬁces. Local register, built in 1892. It was St Joseph’s R.C. school, then Hammersmith College of Further Education before becoming ofﬁces.