Historic Victorian tram depot to get huge glow-up
A HISTORIC tram depot that is one of the last of its kind is set to be transformed into a major tourist attraction.
Dating back to 1870, Clapton Tram Depot in East London will undergo a huge glow-up with 34 independent businesses and boutiques including photographers and artists.
Outside the depot, there are then plans to create an open courtyard area, as well as a terrace.
There is already a gym open at the site as well as a cafe-deli.
The depot is one of the last surviving Victorian horse-drawn tram hubs in London and was used to transfer Londoners between Clapton and the Moorgate area.
At the depot itself, it was once home to 600 horses, with stables on the first floor and tram tracks as well as where the tram carriages were washed on the ground floor.
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The depot stopped being used in 1907 and since has been used as a World War II aircraft parts factory and a bus station.
Since 2008, it has even faced demolition twice.
The latest transformation will see historic features kept such as the original shed structures as well as bring back the tram-track details.
Sim Batth, head of property for Gilini – the team behind the transformation – said: “When we acquired Clapton Tram Depot, we were acquiring something irreplaceable, a working creative ecosystem that has survived two decades of development pressure.
“Our commitment from the outset was that any scheme had to preserve what makes this place worth saving.”
The project is expected to take between a year-and-a-half and two years to complete.