Old Courthouse Gallery - breathing new life into the Ambleside Courthouse Building.

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OCG - breathing new life into the Ambleside Courthouse Building.

The Gallery Team
In 2016 myself and my wife Caroline, along with our friends Andy and Rebecca Thelwell, took charge of the Old Courthouse Gallery, Ambleside, affectionately known to many as OCG.

The Gallery had always been one of our favourite destinations for buying that special gift when we visited the Lakes. When the opportunity arose, following the retirement of Andrew and Sylvia Brammall who established the Gallery in 1994, we were excited to take it on. Four years later, supported by Gosia the existing Gallery manager and the team of Gallery assistants we are thriving.

Our artists and artwork
This last year has been a challenge for all, especially those in the creative industries. We have been in regular contact with our 140+ artists and are delighted that many have been able to continue creating new work over the last year. A range of media are featured in the gallery including wall art, handcrafted furniture, glass, ceramics, metalwork and jewellery, ensuring a deep and high-quality range of pieces for the serious collector or the person looking for the ideal gift or memento.

The Ambleside Courthouse building
The Ambleside Courthouse was built in 1858 as one of a set of civic buildings, following the demolition of the original Market Hall.  We have investigated the history of the building and produced an interesting leaflet about the architecture and its various uses, including court hearings, a lock up and featuring the lives of local people. The building is part of the Ambleside Civic Trust Heritage Trail.

Redevelopment
In February this year we discussed with the buildings trustees the possibility of extending the ground floor of the gallery into vacant retail space next door. The area needed extensive restoration and we were pleased that a local team of contractors took on the challenge. The images show the excitement of ‘breaking through’ and the work to date, which is detailed on our Facebook page. They were able to expose the original high ceiling and slate detailing around the windows.

The ‘OCG Style’
The next stage was to create the distinctive OCG style which is quintessentially part of the experience of browsing and our high levels of customer service. We aspire to create a beautiful space bathed in natural light to best display our artists work and to have knowledgeable gallery staff to discuss your needs and if you are looking for that ‘something unique and special’. We have commissioned Chris Brammall to handcraft additional metalwork to compliment the existing wood and iron fittings in the main Gallery.

Grand Opening
We are uncertain what reopening will mean for many businesses in the lakes, but at OCG we are confident that with our extensive three floors of gallery space and the Visit Britain ‘Good to Go’ status we are ready for our visitors. For those who might be cautious or have special requirements we are offering Private Views with myself on a Friday after normal opening hours. These would need to be booked by calling Caroline on 07906347257. When able, we will probably plan a big party in conjunction with one of our regular exhibitions in Chambers!

View our information leaflet for more details about Old Courthouse Gallery or visit our website.