Grants of Croydon
Encyclopedia
Grants of Croydon is an entertainment complex at 14-32 High Street, Croydon
, London
. Originally built in 1894, Grants became a Grade II listed building in 1990. In 2000 Grants was re-developed into an entertainment centre. It was bought by Scottish Widows
in early 2010.
of its generation. Croydon was home to the first UK international airport
and the store provided all the uniforms for the Royal Air Force
. Grants was visited by swarms of French aristocrats who flew into Croydon
simply to buy a suit. It was the first store in the UK to have its own generator supplied electricity
.
The Royal Family were also frequent visitors to Grants and on occasion the Queen would also come to the store.
After the Second World War times were hard and the store's clothes were considered over-priced. Business became increasingly difficult, and eventually by the 1980s stiff competition forced Grants out of business. The store closed its doors in 1985 and remained empty until 2000.
with the challenge of redeveloping the listed building to its former glory by restoring the original Queen Anne
style façade
. The restoration include repair of the stained glass windows
, the stonework, the cornices, the window trims and a turret with a flagpole. The windows of the building are etched as they were in Victorian
times, with descriptions of the goods that Grants used to sell, such as 'haberdashery' and 'silk
s'.
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
, London
Greater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
. Originally built in 1894, Grants became a Grade II listed building in 1990. In 2000 Grants was re-developed into an entertainment centre. It was bought by Scottish Widows
Scottish Widows
Scottish Widows plc is a life, pensions and investment company located in Edinburgh, Scotland, and is a subsidiary of Lloyds Banking Group. Its product range includes life assurance, pensions, investments and savings...
in early 2010.
Department store
The two Grant brothers originally had a tailors shop across the road. Business boomed so the brothers bought out the surrounding shops opposite and opened Grants department store. During the First World War years Grants was considered the HarrodsHarrods
Harrods is an upmarket department store located in Brompton Road in Brompton, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London. The Harrods brand also applies to other enterprises undertaken by the Harrods group of companies including Harrods Bank, Harrods Estates, Harrods Aviation and Air...
of its generation. Croydon was home to the first UK international airport
Croydon Airport
Croydon Airport was an airport in South London which straddled the boundary between what are now the London boroughs of Croydon and Sutton. It was the main airport for London before it was replaced by Northolt Aerodrome, London Heathrow Airport and London Gatwick Airport...
and the store provided all the uniforms for the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
. Grants was visited by swarms of French aristocrats who flew into Croydon
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
simply to buy a suit. It was the first store in the UK to have its own generator supplied electricity
Electricity generation
Electricity generation is the process of generating electric energy from other forms of energy.The fundamental principles of electricity generation were discovered during the 1820s and early 1830s by the British scientist Michael Faraday...
.
The Royal Family were also frequent visitors to Grants and on occasion the Queen would also come to the store.
After the Second World War times were hard and the store's clothes were considered over-priced. Business became increasingly difficult, and eventually by the 1980s stiff competition forced Grants out of business. The store closed its doors in 1985 and remained empty until 2000.
Reconstruction
Developers Richardsons tasked architects Hellmuth, Obata and KassabaumHellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum
HOK is a global architecture, interiors, engineering, planning and consulting firm. HOK is the largest U.S.-based architecture-engineering firm and the "No. 1 role model for sustainable and high-performance design." HOK also is the second-largest interior design firm...
with the challenge of redeveloping the listed building to its former glory by restoring the original Queen Anne
Queen Anne Style architecture
The Queen Anne Style in Britain means either the English Baroque architectural style roughly of the reign of Queen Anne , or a revived form that was popular in the last quarter of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century...
style façade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
. The restoration include repair of the stained glass windows
Stained Glass Windows
Stained Glass Windows was an early broadcast television program, broadcast on early Sunday evenings on the ABC network. The program was a religious broadcast, hosted by the Reverend Everett Parker....
, the stonework, the cornices, the window trims and a turret with a flagpole. The windows of the building are etched as they were in Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
times, with descriptions of the goods that Grants used to sell, such as 'haberdashery' and 'silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
s'.
Current tenants
Although the exterior has been restored to its former glory, the environment inside is very different. The tenants are:- Nando'sNando'sNando's is a casual dining restaurant group originating from South Africa with a Portuguese/Mozambican theme. Founded in 1987, Nando's operates in thirty countries on five continents....
, a casual dining restaurant. - Reflex, an 80's Bar
- Lloyd's Milan Bar, part of the J D Wetherspoon chain. Opened on 9 December 2002.
- Tiger Tiger, a night club. Has several different themed rooms and a restaurant.
- Virgin Active, an health club.
- Vue Cinema, is situated on the top three floors of Grants. It has ten screens, including a RealD Cinema screen.