Foxborough gardens murals

Two beautiful murals in the entrances to two six-storey housing blocks in Foxborough Gardens in Lewisham are currently being restored by HOLT.

The concrete mural has just been re-painted by conservators from Taylor Pearce, the colours were carefully selected to match the latest iteration of the mural. Local people and children were invited to help finish the job!

The timber mural has been taken away for conservation by Temple Studios and will be reinstated in a few weeks’ time.

The murals were created between 1957 and 1963 by artist William Mitchell (1925 - 2020) who was commissioned by the London County Council to decorate the block entrances of the new housing. The timber mural is made from offcuts of wood and bits of old furniture - bannisters, dado rails and chair legs - arranged on baseboards and sanded down and varnished. It depicts abstract forms of birds, fountains, castles and sunbursts. The other mural is made from concrete (poured concrete into a clay matrix) and is more purely abstract. The concrete mural was painted in bright colours in subsequent decades. In total, Mitchell produced around 100 pieces of public art in London. Over fifteen of his works now have Grade II or Grade II* listed status.

The project has been supported by HOLT, the Pilgrim Trust, Foxborough Gardens residents and Lewisham Council and will be finished in December. Local children have been involved in the project as part of HOLT’s Proud Places programme.

Southwark Park caryatids

Work is underway on the Victorian caryatids in Southwark Park. The missing arms of one of the caryatids have been remodelled first in wax, built up over wooden frame supports. They are currently being re-carved in stone at a workshop off-site.

Our Proud Places team have been taking local young people to meet the stonemasons and get up close to the sculptures. The young people have been introduced to stonemasonry and taken part in clay sculpture and drawing workshops.

These caryatids were once on each side of the main entrance at Rotherhithe Town Hall, sculpted by the artist Henry Poole (1873-1928).

Rotherhithe Town Hall was severely damaged by bombing in the Blitz – it was hit by bombs on six different occasions and later had to be demolished. The bombing damaged the caryatids too. However, they were rescued and transferred to a new housing complex in Elephant and Castle, the Heygate Estate, in 1974. 

After the Heygate Estate was demolished in 2011 the caraytids were rescued again and installed in Southwark Park.

The project, supported by HOLT, Knight Frank and Southwark Council will be finished in early December.

We’d love to know your thoughts on the project, please fill out our survey here.

London Bridge Alcove

One of London Bridge’s four surviving 18^th century alcoves has been unveiled at Courtlands Estate in Richmond after restoration work.

When old London Bridge was rebuilt in1831, two of its pedestrian stone alcoves and balustrading were bought and relocated to Richmond by the Hon Heneage Legge, son of the 3rd Earl of Dartmouth, for his home, Stawell House. One was lost when Stawell House was demolished in 1938.

The alcove was in poor condition and restoration involved poulticing and repointing the open joints with lime mortar. Damaged stonework was repaired and an interpretation panel erected.

Local young people were involved with the project through the restoration, meeting the stonemasons at work, as part of our Proud Places programme, and local families turned out for the unveiling.

The project was completed with support from the Wates Family Enterprise Trust.