Dealer Robert Bruty has opened at number 18 with a focus on lighting from the period 1820-1920s as well as some furniture and decorative items.
His early years in the trade included working for a restorer and he later sold from shops in the Old Kent Road, Crystal Palace and Forest Hill, all in south London.
After more than five years without a premises and at age 67, Bruty decided it was time to run a shop again.
He said: “Cecil Court is a thriving community and a pleasant place to be and to trade.
“The landlord here is very understanding and pro the antiques trade. They have really made it an independent community here with a great mix of people.”
The area is growing for art and antiques dealerships with established dealers including Bryars & Bryars, Daniel Bexfield and Panter & Hall.
Auction house Sworders also operates a showroom from the street.
Vibrant hub
Porcelain specialist Serhat Ahmet who opened in Cecil Court just before the pandemic struck in March 2020.
Just before the pandemic and the UK’s lockdown in March 2020, porcelain specialist Serhat Ahmet opened a shop. Ahmet also sings the praises of the street and its landlord.
He said: “Despite the pandemic, I am extremely pleased to have made the move to Cecil Court when I did. Cecil Court is fast becoming London’s most vibrant and varied antiques hub and it continues to go from strength to strength with each new shop opening.
“That there are no empty premises on the Court is a testament to this. It is set within an equally vibrant neighbourhood which makes for an enjoyable buying destination for collectors of ceramics, silver and Art Deco to name but a few specialisms of the dealers here.
“In the first week of November, I would usually be exhibiting at a fair, but this year my customers have found me at the shop, and often found it a preferred way to buy – and for me, it is certainly a preferred way to sell. It has taken some time, but business has really picked up to what feels like the levels last seen some two years ago.”
Another recent addition was Matthew Foster’s Art Deco Gallery at number 11 at the end of last year.
Cecil Court was laid out in the 17th century and is still owned by a branch of the family from which it takes its name: the Cecils of Hatfield House in Hertfordshire who are the descendants of the 1st Earl of Salisbury Robert Cecil (1563-1612).
