The Brighton Bandstand, also known as The Birdcage and the Bedford
Square Bandstand was designed by Phillip Causton Lockwood in 1883
and manufactured by Walter Macfarlane & Co. of Saracen Foundry in
Glasgow, and constructed in 1884. The Bandstand was designed as
part of a project which included landscaped enclosures and covered
shelters to improve facilities on the seafront in Brighton and
Hove. It
was originally intended as a sheltered area for Ladies to rest in
and admire the sea views, but soon became host to Bands and
Gentlemen.
The designer, Philip
Lockwood studied architecture in London before marrying a local Brighton (Hove
actually) girl and settling in Kemp Town. He was Brighton's borough surveyor for
over 25 years and designed several local structures, many depicting the delicate
latticed arches that are such a significant emblem of the Bandstand.
Other examples of his work
included the latticed arches adorned with alternate figurines of Neptune and
Aphrodite that many still remember were on the sheltered promenade known as the
Madeira Walk. His seafront designs were expensive and controversial at the time,
but are now highly regarded. The Brighton Bandstand is considered one of the
finest examples of a Victorian bandstand, and the only one remaining in
Brighton. In 1910 there were eight bandstands including one further along the
seafront in Hove where the Babylon Lounge now stands. That bandstand was torn
down in 1965.
The
Brighton Bandstand was a popular venue for bands through the early 1960s until a
change in appreciation for historic preservation took hold of Brighton in the
mid-1960s. The Bandstand began to decay from neglect, and the bridge connecting
the bandstand to Kings Road was removed in the 1970s for reasons of safety. The
Bandstand has been left unused ever since.
It is likely that 40 years of
neglect would have seen the demise of this 'jewel' in the prom's crown, if the
Brighton Bandstand Campaign had not been set up in 2007. (See 'About Us' click
thro)
The
Bandstand is a Grade II Listed building and Brighton's last remaining Bandstand.
In May 2007 the newly
elected Councillors of Brighton and Hove City Council, with the backing of all
political parties, agreed to fully fund its renovation. The restoration work
started in September 2008, and the roof and cast iron metal super-structure will
be restored in two different Sussex specialist workshops. The 2500 people who
signed the Petition can now look forward to seeing it fully restored and in use
as both as a musical
venue and cafe in summer 2009.
For the latest information on the restoration see Brighton and Hove City
Council’s website:
Www.brighton-hove.gov.uk
Click a picture to see a larger view.
