six panel doors dated circa 1800-1840,

in order to be better placed to answer

queries from homeowners regarding

the appearance of their original doors.

Another example of this type of use is

the visit made to the Collection by two

Conservation Officers concerned by

the gentrification of vernacular

properties in their area through the

fitting of internal panel doors. The

Officers wished to gain a better

understanding of the transition

between internal ledged-and-boarded

doors and panel doors in houses of this

type. To this end they examined a

number of vernacular doors of both

types.

The Brooking Collection can be used

as a resource when producing guidance

notes for the public. In January of this

year Islington’s Listed Building Case-

workers photographed a range of

external doors of similar design to those

in their conservation areas. The

photographs are to be included in a

leaflet for distribution to homeowners.

The Collection can also provide

ammunition with which to fight a case.

Two Surrey Conservation Officers

visited the Collection to gain evidence

of the inappropriateness of a

replacement sash window in a late

18th century property. The new

window was correct in its glazing

pattern but the glazing bars were

inauthentic in their heaviness

(inauthentic to any period!). The

meeting rail was also too heavy and the

sashes bore anachronistic horns. The

Conservation Officers photographed

and made drawings of some twenty

‘The collection can also

provide ammunition

with which to fight a

case’

late 18th century sash windows. Even

they were surprised at the fmeness of

line in some windows from that period.

Another reason for referring to the

Brooking Collection is to obtain

patterns for replacement features. It

was used by

architects from

the former GLC

in their creation

of replacement

windows for the

front elevation

of Richmond

Terrace,

Whitehall. In the

Collection they

copied an

example of the

required early

lamb’s tongue

moulding.

Because this

work had to be

so precise,

Charles

carefully

stripped one of

the lamb’s

tongue glazing

bars of its paint

layers prior to

the visit.

T h e

collections of

complete

features are

complemented

by collections of

sectioned items.

This greatly

facilitates the

study of historic construction and

craftsmanship. A Conservation Officer

from the Bermondsey area studied

cross-sections of early, circa 1707, sash

window box frames which had been

removed from 26/27 Southampton

Street. He was working with the

architect making a replacement

window for an early 18th century

building and wanted to ensure that

they were getting the details right.

Another Conservation Officer used

sections of 18th century doors from

Bowood House to practical effect. The

measured drawings that he made

formed part of his work to devise a

method by which panel doors could be

upgraded to meet fire regulations with

minimum degradation of character.

Finally, because the Collection

enables direct comparisons to be made,

this aids the identification of the

significant details which differentiate

the craftsmanship of different periods.

Two Conservation Officers dealing with

a house in which some hob grates had

been replacedina 1920s refurbishment,

visited the Collection with the specific

purpose of determining which grates

dated from the 18th century and which

were copies - the ‘elliptic’ or ‘sham

grates’ which were still being produced

inthe 1910s and 1920s toreplace burnt-

out originals. Charles produced

examples of both types and they were

able to see for themselves the

differences in the casting techniques,

the types of bolt used and the thickness

of section which immediately dis-

tinguish the work of the two periods.

Julie Wakefield is Keeper of the Brookings

Collection, University of Greenwich,

VISITING THE BROOKING

COLLECTION

To make use of the Collection telephone

the Keeper, Julie Wakefield, to make

an appointment. If you have a good

idea of the material you wish to study,

and can give a week’s notice, it should

be possible to retrieve items from the

store prior to your arrival. There is now

a computerised catalogue available in

the Collection by which further items

of interest can be located by type, date,

architect, provenance etc. If you are

unable to travel to the Collection we

are happy to receive telephone and

postal enquiries. In addition, Charles

Brooking can undertake site visits, such

as those he performs for English Herit-

age, on a consultancy basis. The Collec-

tion is open from 9 am to 5 pm Monday

to Friday. Address: The Brooking Go!-

lectio n, University of Greenwich,

OakfieldLane, Dartford DA1 2SZ. Tel:

0181-33 1 9897.

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