Explore Kingswood Arts a 450-year-old building nestled in a London council estate offering arts and community programs.
The land’s history goes way back to 1576. Back then, they called it King’s Coppice. Later, people called it King’s Wood. The name “King” likely isn’t about a monarch. It probably came from a person named King. They likely owned the woods long ago.
Edward Alleyn bought the land in 1619. People knew him to own brothels. William Vizard built a house there in 1811. He lived there until 1831.
The original building was never torn down. People added to it over time. The architecture reflects styles up to the 1940s.
Vizard was Princess Caroline’s lawyer. Caroline was married to Prince George IV. Vizard defended her against divorce attempts. The public sided with Caroline. Vizard got many more cases after that.
The house had five owners from 1831 to 1891. Then, John Lawson Johnston acquired it in 1891. He invented Bovril. People nicknamed the house “Bovril Castle.” He leased the house from Dulwich College.
Johnston expanded the house. Henry Vaughan Lanchester designed the castle look. They added an entrance hall and a Great Hall. A Palm Court, like an orangery, was also built. Locals use it today.
They included 17th-century paneling inside. The tapestries, ceilings, and fireplace are historic. They came from old palaces.
Prince Serge Constantivich de Bolotoff leased it in 1908. Some say he wasn’t really a prince. He lived there, not paying bills. Serge pioneered aviation. His planes sat on the grounds. He sometimes crashed them. He married Rosalie Selfridge later. She was Gordon Selfridge’s daughter.
The Vestey family took the house in 1919. They made some changes to it then. They installed marble flooring and paneling. The Vesteys helped revamp Liverpool Cathedral. They also pioneered refrigerated shipping.
People found a bomb shelter there. It had a reinforced concrete ceiling. It was used after a nearby bomb. A rocket damaged the house’s windows.
Kingswood Arts is revealing the original kitchen. It features the kitchen’s white tiles. They hope to finish it this year.
London City Council bought the estate in the 1940s. They planned to build housing there. The estate offered homes for many families. Locals used Kingswood House a lot then. It became a library later too.
Jack Hartshorn acquired it and renamed it Kingswood Arts. Now, it provides community spaces for local residents.
Kingswood Arts hosts free events. The events are for Kingswood Estate people. Renting the house generates funding. Tours help people learn the history.