A key aspect of restoration work at the much loved and historic Croydon Road Recreation Ground Bandstand is now complete, with the restored crown on the bandstand again.
As part of the work, gilding was applied to the crown, with new pieces being carefully welded to the original crown to repair the damage caused by over 100 years of wear to the Grade II listed Edwardian bandstand. Heritage of London Trust are being thanked for their additional grant funding which allowed for the crown – corona – to be gilded, with the work being carried out by specialists AF Starr Limited.
The £245k improvement project for the bandstand, where David Bowie famously performed, includes refurbishing all areas of the bandstand, including its intricate ironwork and perimeter fencing. The original Edwardian colour scheme of dark brown and buff is being used, with the plans also including landscaping improvements, a brick pathway of personalised bricks, rainwater dispersal materials added to the roof, new bandstand signage, and upgraded lighting that can be used for performances.
Councillor Will Rowlands, Executive Councillor for Environment commented: “This exciting work is beginning to take shape for all to see, which has only happened with the support of so many. I’d like to sincerely thank Heritage of London Trust for their support and additional grant as well as their original monies. Thank you and congratulations should also go to Bowie’s Beckenham Oddity and other Bowie fans who are supporting this work, along with the many community fundraisers, and all of those who have bought a bandstand brick and of course the Friends of Croydon Road Recreation Ground.”
Dr Nicola Stacey, Director, Heritage of London Trust commented: “This is a one-off opportunity to restore a bandstand of significant cultural importance and it is vital that it looks as splendid as possible. We have been delighted to support the conservation work and see the whole corona gilded. Through our engagement work in HOLT’s Proud Places programme local young people have been involved in each exciting stage of the project and particularly loved the gilding process.”
Built by McCallum and Hope Ltd of Glasgow, work on the bandstand is due to be completed in Spring 2024. The bandstand is believed to be installed in 1905 and is a rare example of intricate iron work, notable for the quality of its design, with the execution of its pattern work and casting believed to be the only remaining example in Britain. It holds an historic association with local resident David Bowie, who played at the bandstand in the Summer Growth Festival in 1969. The bandstand was listed in 2019, on the advice of Historic England.
Funding for the project has been secured from a variety of sources including over £100k of community fundraising, £80,000 from the London Borough of Bromley and over £12,000 from Heritage of London Trust. Plans were developed in conjunction with stakeholders and Purcell Architecture Limited, the appointed conservation consultant.
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Editors Notes
- The Bandstand was listed in August 2019 by the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on the advice of Historic England, 50 years after David Bowie performed at the Summer Growth Festival.
- Funding for the project has been secured from a variety of sources including over £100,000 of community fundraising which includes fundraising festivals organised by Bowie’s Beckenham Oddity, £80,000 from Bromley Council and £12,840 from Heritage of London Trust.
- Heritage of London Trust (HOLT) is London’s independent heritage charity working to restore historic buildings and monuments across the city. It has been spearheading restoration projects for over 40 years and has helped preserve over 800 heritage sites that the public can now enjoy.
- Proud Places is a London-wide youth engagement programme run by Heritage of London Trust (HOLT) which enables young people to connect with their local area through site visits to historic buildings and creative workshops. The programme aims to develop young people’s pride and curiosity about where they live. The Proud Places programme is funded by the Jones Day Foundation.
- To find out more about the Friends of Croydon Road Recreation Ground visit the Friends of Croydon Road Recreation Ground website for more information including becoming a member
For media enquiries, please contact Andrew Rogers, Head of Public Affairs, on 020 8461 7670 or email Andrew.Rogers@bromley.gov.uk.