A photo walk through the mansion
My art studio is at a 250 years old Georgian mansion which is in a huge, beautiful park with ancient woodland and a swimming lake in South London. So I thought I will show you around.
The park and mansion are always painted in variety of hues and moods as I walk to the studio. Here is the mansion on a crisp autumn day. I took this photo two days ago and it gave me the idea of this blog post.
The main entrance of Beckenham Place Mansion with its portico.
The north side of Beckenham Place Mansion in front of my art studio at the lower ground floor. My artwork can be seen here.
This is the south side of the building Where Mansion café bar entrance is and views towards the park are breathtaking if you stop by for a cuppa.
There is a lot of joy in being surrounded by beauty every day. To me it is very important to like what I see and to love my surroundings everyday. I guess I am aesthetically picky. I am very lucky to work in the mansion or perhaps I needed it's beauty and that's why I ended up having a studio here. The mansion is elegant and a bit beautifully intimidating. It definitely needs restoration but I like how the building is ageing and baring it’s strong bones, how it's a bit difficult and with character.
The mansion at dusk on a summer.
Here are some basic facts before I show you some of the interiors at Beckenham Place Mansion.
When was Beckenham Place mansion built?
The mansion was built for John Cator around 1773. Today it is a Grade II* listed building by English Heritage.
Who lived in Beckenham Place Park?
The Cator family owned the mansion until the twentieth century. It was occupied by tenants for the majority of the nineteenth century. In 1927, the London County Council purchased it.
Wasn’t there a golf course in Beckenham Place Park?
The parkland adjacent to Beckenham Place Mansion was a public golf course until 2016 and the lower ground floor of the mansion served as a club house from the 30’s to 2016.
Who owns Beckenham Place Mansion today?
London Borough of Lewisham owns the parkland and mansion since 1972. Since 2016, Copeland has managed and developed the building as an arts, cultural, and community centre.
Now let me show you the interiors of the mansion where my art studio is.
The ground floor at Beckenham Place Mansion is the most impressive part of the building. It has 5 grand rooms with 3 of them showcasing beautiful and intricate plaster work on the high ceilings. The rooms are all accessed from an imposing atrium with a dome.
The atrium with first floor balcony where there are 7 artists' studios and resident sewing school KHY on the ground floor.
The grand rooms on the ground floor regularly host yoga, dance and all sorts of workshops and classes.
The ground floor is also a popular event space - many weddings, birthdays and other occasions are held here.
The same room in the evening. What a difference light makes!
Don't forget to look up. Ceilings are quite spectacular in the three main rooms.
The first floor of Beckenham Place Mansion is accessed via beautiful spiral stairs leading onto internal balcony. The floor hosts 7 artists’ studios, the management office and carers quarters. The views toward the parkland from the first floor are breathtaking. My art studio used to be there before I moved to a self contained one on the lower ground floor in February 2021.
A look at the dome from the first floor balcony.
The perfect spiral of the staircase leading to the first floor. Fibonacci would be happy climbing those stairs.
View of the parkland from the first floor.
And here comes the attic - an enchanted place. The attic was used as servant’s quarters and retains some original features.
The lower ground floor is buzzing with life. Café bar, a vintage shop, upholsterer, reflexologist, lighting and sound company and myself call it home.
The room hosting Verso Vintage shop has curved ceiling defining arches on the walls. It can be found on the south side of the building next to Mansion Cafe bar entrance and is a treasure trove for lovers of past eras beauty.
My studio has a it's original fireplace and a vaulted ceiling. Visits to my studio are by appointment. Contact I also open my studio to the public few times per year, info gets published on the Events and Words pages.
Mansion Café Bar is on the lower ground floor too. It has the original fireplace and other preserved period features. It offers drinks and food to Beckenham Place mansion visitors and is showcasing wall art from some of the resident artists.
The Mansion has become a popular place and thriving culture and social hub in South London. It regularly hosts the fantastic vintage fair So Last Century, DJs and cocktails on Thursday nights all summer long, craft fairs, music events, farmers market and so much more.
And finally here are the answers to some frequently asked questions:
Can I visit Beckenham Place Mansion?
Yes. The Mansion Cafe Bar and Verso vintage shop are open every day except Monday. You can check the What’s On mansion page for current events. Artists’ studios in the mansion can be visited by appointment and on Open Studio Days which are announced on the mansion website. All artists and small businesses calling Beckenham Place mansion a home are listed on their website.
What was the festival in Beckenham Place Park?
There are 2 big music festivals and numerous other events taking place at Beckenham Place Park. The big ones are Naked City and Hospitality in the Woods. Both take place in September.
Can you swim in Beckenham Place Park?
Yes. Beckenham Place Park has a 285 meters long swimming lake. PTP Coaching manages the lake, bookings are necessary.
Photo: Edge to Edge Films
How to get to Beckenham Place Park?
You can find detailed info about transport on my Contact page.
Beckenham Place Park gets very busy during summer weekends and holidays. It’s advisable to use public transport, cycle or walk.
The park and mansion are popular during the summer.
Is parking free in Beckenham Place Park?
At time of writing (October 2022) Beckenham Place Park parking is Pay & Display Monday to Sunday, 8am to 5pm. including bank holidays. Payments are via PayByPhone system.
I hope you enjoyed this little photo walk through the building where my art studio is and the information provided is useful. The park itself deserves a future separate post as there are so many interesting things to show you.
My art can be seen in the studio at Beckenham Place Mansion, on the Artwork page, Instagram and Facebook
Location of Maria Rado Art Studio at Beckenham Place Mansion. Map
All photos except aerial ones are by Maria Rado.