A friend of mine Julian Kingston is leading the campaign to build the Lenox. HMS Lenox was a restoration period warship built in the time of King Charles The Second. In fact she was the first ship built under Charles’s grand programme to re-bulid the navy in 1677, a programme supervised by Samuel Pepys.
She was what’s known as a third rate and carried about seventy cannon. When she was some seventy years old and not even able to carry her full complement of guns she took on a Spanish First Rate and won! An action which was famous at the time.
Lenox was built at Convoy’s Wharf Deptford a shipyard founded by King Henry VIII and the build the Lenox campaigners wish to restore the historic dockyard at the same time. It’s a fantastic project that will help regenerate Deptford, will create jobs and apprenticeships, teach young people skills and create an amazing legacy.
The project is possible because the plans for the Lenox have survived! We have drawings for every single piece of timber, this will not be a rough copy from a painting this will be a true recreation which will enhance opur knowledge of the period immensely.
But there’s a problem, the site has been bought by developers in Hong Kong to build high priced apartments to be sold in London – er no, to be sold in Hong Kong to investors/speculators. Build The Lenox only need the appropriate historic area of this huge plot and it’s usual for planning in this country to impose conditions and caveats, like affordable housing and/or something for the community.
Deptford isn’t the richest or smartest part of London, but it is very historic, this is a unique and once only opportunity to do something fantastic for Deptford and the nation actually. Please like the page and add the website to your favourites, write to the Mayor of London and the Mayor of Deptford.
Please help to make sure this amazing opportunity isn’t lost.
Cheers
Malcolm
www.buildthelenox.org
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