The Chinese Garage is a former garage and petrol station situated in Beckenham in the London Borough of Bromley, on a roundabout linking Beckenham, Eden Park and Shortlands. Built in 1928 to a Japanese pagoda style design by Edmund B. Clarke, it was voted the most unusual garage in England in 2001. It currently hosts a Tesco Express and Majestic Wine store.
| Chinese Garage | |
|---|---|
.jpg) The Chinese Garage, Beckenham | |
 | |
| Alternative names | Langley Park Garage |
| General information | |
| Coordinates | 51°23′56.2″N 0°1′7.0″W / 51.398944°N 0.018611°W |
| Construction started | 1928 |
History
editThe garage was built in 1928 to a design by Edmund B. Clarke[1] in the style of a Japanese pagoda on land adjoining Stone Park Farm which was part of the Langley Court Estate.[2] At that time Stone Park Avenue had not been laid out and the main traffic route was north–south between Beckenham and West Wickham; this accounts for the alignment of forecourt.
Local folklore suggests that the Langley Court's former owners, the Bucknell family, were shipping magnates that underwrote the Titanic. Subsequently when it sank they financially sank too, hence the sale of their estate.[3] It is further reputed that during their travels, the Bucknells regularly visited the Far East and Japan and brought back many exotic plants for the Estate which is said to have inspired Clarke to build the Garage in its distinctly Japanese style.[3] However, no traces of such planting survive today on the Estate to substantiate this claim. It may well be that the design was purely the whim of the architect and his client.
Because of its oriental appearance it became known locally as The Chinese Garage although the official name was Langley Park Garage until 1989. It is now a Grade II listed building.
The building was previously part of a Kia and Peugeot car dealership[4] and is no longer used as a petrol garage but retains much of its historic character and the grounds and adjoining roundabout are planted in a complementary manner. The building now contains a Tesco Express and a Majestic wine shop.[5][6] Bromley Council rejected plans for a Tesco express due to traffic and parking concerns in the area but was overruled by the Government [7]
As of November 12, 2020 the garage was opened as a Majestic Wine store.[8]
Architectural awards
editThe Chinese Garage was the winner of a Better Petrol Stations competition organised by the Daily Express and the Gardeners' Guild in the 1930s and in 2001 was voted the most unusual garage in England.[9]
References
edit- ^ "Chinese Garage". Beckenham.net. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
- ^ "Langley Farm". BeckenhamHistory.co.uk. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
- ^ a b "Langley Park History". Langley Park Residents' Association. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
- ^ "Chinese Garage Ltd, Official Peugeot Dealer". Peugeot Motor Company PLC. Archived from the original on 26 January 2010. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
- ^ "Majestic Wine opens 199th & 200th store this month - Retail Gazette". www.retailgazette.co.uk. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
- ^ Tesco (2021). "Chinese Garage Express". Tesco Express Stores. Archived from the original on 1 September 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
- ^ "Chinese Garage: Council overruled as Tesco win planning appeal". News Shopper. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
- ^ "Doors Open At New Majestic Beckenham Store". Majestic Wine. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
- ^ "Chinese Garage, Beckenham". Geograph. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
External links
edit- P.P.P. – A study near Beckenham A story about "Picturesque Petrol Pumps". Silent newsreel footage. Pathé Pictorial, 2 September 1929.