What Happened to the Veuve Clicquot?
These intimidating stairs lead down to the main cellars of Brockhampton Park. Despite appearances, the cellars are well worth exploring, but be careful, as the darkened stairs begin immediately inside the access door, which is opposite the door to Flat 4 (for safety, turn on the light just inside the door to the left). Lined with white glazed brickwork and replete with storage ‘bins’ for food, wine and other commodities, it is easy to imagine the wide inventory of supplies necessary to properly care for the owner’s family and their illustrious guests. In its heyday, there is little doubt that these subterranean halls were bustling with the comings and goings of a sizeable staff of servants not dissimilar to that of television’s Downton Abbey. There are actually two cellars, but it is the large main cellar that is of most interest.
Nowadays, this is where the storage spaces allocated to each flat may be found delineated by white lines and numerals. Over time, past residents leave unwanted items and the property of current residents sometimes overflows into circulation spaces or even the unused space of others. ‘Stuff’ has a way of expanding. This can lead to an accumulation of goods that, at its worst, can be hazardous to navigate or lead to confusion for new residents seeking their spaces. Recently, the Board organized the clearance of this accumulated debris by a volunteer group so that the cellars could be cleaned up.
It is fascinating to find bins clearly, if untidily, marked with the name of the vintage they once contained. Search out the Veuve Clicquot champagne bin and notice how empty it is now the cleanup crew has done their work (one wonders what kind of concluding celebration ensued). It is certain however that the bin has been empty for many years, but if there was a dusty, 200-year old bottle hidden at the back, it would be worth upwards of £30,000 at today’s prices.
Above: The storage bins were probably originally for food, wine and other consumables.
Right and far right: The aisles are clear and the stored items well ordered after the cleanup crew had done their work.
Left: First item into the skip (Directors Peter Long and Johan Pretorius)
Right: Who knows what or who you may come across down in those crypt-like spaces (watch out for your head on some of the conversion drainage pipes).
In the end, an enormous amount of debris had to be carried up from the large cellar doors to a skip positioned in the rear courtyard, which was completely filled. Thanks to all those who shared their time for the cleanup effort over two or three days.
The Cleanup Crew, left to right: Nick Reeves, Directors Melanie Day and Peter Long, and Peter Shepherd.
Left: The skip, loaded to the gills with unwanted or useless debris, is carted away.