A beautifully restored Victorian-era winery facade beneath a London Bridge railway arch has been featured on the tv programme ‘The Architecture The Railways Built’.
The programme, available on UK TV Play, sees Peckham-based architect Benedict O’Looney help historian Tim Dunn explore the secrets of the site known as Findlater’s Corner.
Sitting at the bridge’s south end, Findlater’s Corner was established by historic wine merchants Findlater’s Mackie & Todd in 1865, providing a useful drink stop for Victorian commuters heading home from work.
Its stunning Beaux-arts facade had fallen into disrepair but Benedict O’Looney oversaw its restoration as part of a £3 million project by The Arch Company and Railway Heritage Trust.
Last summer, the scaffolding was finally removed, offering commuters a unique insight into Victorian and Edwardian architecture.
Mr O’Looney wrote: “It was filmed on a balmy day last August when the scaffold offered us a close study of the fabulous Doulton’s Carrara Ware ceramic façade, made up the river at the Lambeth pottery.
“A week or so before, we discovered a long-lost glass mosaic from the Dairy Express Tea Room to the façade of the adjacent railway arch, Borough High Street. Excitement all around!”
Findlater’s original Victorian frontage was replaced in 1900 with a new Beaux-arts facade, made from a glazed terracotta known as Carrara Ware.
In the programme, Mr O’Looney explains how the “wonder material” was perfect for smokey London because rainwater would wash soot straight off.
He said the fact it had been fired made the detail look as if “it was made yesterday”.
“I’m a little bit emotional because I’ve seen this ruined for so many years and it’s back,” says presenter Tim Dunn.
The clock atop the structure had been broken for years but has also been repaired and given new hands and glass by clockmaker Gillet & Johnston.
And the ceramic stag head, denoting the Findlater family’s Scottish ancestry, had become pockmarked and lost an antler, but has now also returned to its former glory.
Over the summer, contractors were surprised to find a mosaic beneath the render walls – the work of celebrated mosaicist Jesse Rust.
It marked the entrance to an Express Dairy, a place that got fresh milk delivered from the countryside, considered superior to London cows’ milk.
The programme also sees Tim Dunn explore London Bridge’s “bright, airy and tranquil modern terminus”.
Watch the full programme for free at UK TV Play. The show was broadcasted on March 21, 2023, and has already featured on Yesterday and UKTV.