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The Old CourthouseThe Old Courthouse : The Library & Archive : The Courtyard Garden : The Bookshop
Jamyang's library forms an integral part of the
educational work of the Centre, and contains over 2,000 books. We also have
extensive audio archives
and a video archive.The Old CourthouseThe Old Courthouse was originally a Police Court, which later became a Magistrates Court and is the oldest surviving, intact, Victorian Police Court in London.Until it was opened in 1869, there was no regular place where a magistrate sat in Lambeth. The architect, Thomas Charles Sorby (1836-1924) was the Police Surveyor at the time and also designed two surviving police stations, one at Clerkenwell (formerly Kings Cross Police Station), and Rochester Row.
The royal coat of arms and the date of construction,
'18AD69', is set in the front elevation and on some of the hopper heads.
Internally, it had a single court in which all cases were heard, and various
offices leading off it. The former court room is of double-height with a lofty
timber roof, suggestive of an upturned Viking ship, and above what was the
magistrate's chair, is a timber canopy of impressive proportions. From the
court, a door leads to an extensive two storey cell block, through a holding
'tank', where prisoners were held before appearing in the dock. After it was replaced by the new Magistrates Court at Camberwell Green, the courthouse served as a maximum security court for special remands, and was seen regularly in the background of television news reports, following the arrest of suspected IRA terrorists. The cell walls and doors bear witness to this period, with the names of several well known members of the IRA still legible. Car bombers, terrorists, the Kray twins, and members of the gang who seized the Iranian Embassy all appeared here at the old Kennington Courthouse, and local people still remember the helicopters overhead and the marksmen on the roof. The building also provided the location for an episode of the TV series 'The Bill'. In 1990, the court was finally closed and high security remands transferred to Arbour Square. The building remained empty for some five years and fell into disrepair. Eventually it was offered for sale and attracted some interest, most notably from Mother Theresa of Calcutta, who failed to get planning permission for her scheme to convert it into a project for homeless people. Proposals were put forward for its adaptation by Jamyang Buddhist Centre and also by the property developers Headland Weald who sought to convert the building into luxury apartments. The Victorian Society was reluctant to consider residential conversion and took the unusual step of supporting one applicant's application against another, while English Heritage made it a Grade II Listed Building in November 1993. Conversion into Jamyang Buddhist Centre  The building eventually went to auction on November 1,
1995. At 2.15pm, when the auctioneer's hammer came down for the third and final
time, it became Jamyang's new home.
With initially very limited funds, a team of volunteers and local people on youth training schemes moved in and set to work removing the bullet-proof glass and the lead floor lining from the court room, converting it into a spacious and airy Shrine Room in the heart of the building. Graffiti was removed from the prison cells and the Victorian glazed brickwork and oak doors restored to their previous splendour.
A magnificent nine foot high statue of Buddha was constructed where the Judge used to sit by Peter Griffin, a local sculptor trained by Tibetan exiles in India and Nepal. In May 1999 the statue was consecrated during a visit from The Dalai Lama. The background to the statue, known as the aura, depicts the symbols of Buddhism's 'Six Perfections', namely Generosity, Morality, Patience, Enthusiastic Perseverance, Concentration and Wisdom. With advice from English Heritage, the Victorian Society and Lambeth's Conservation Officer the cells were converted into accommodation, the male prisoners' holding cell became a library and the female holding cell was converted into an office.Other facilities include a bookshop, and meeting/training room for local organisations. The second floor apartment was refurbished and is rented out in order to pay the mortgage interest on the original purchase. 
The Library & Archive
Among the library's highlights are over 60 separate volumes by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, many rare pamphlets, texts on Lam Rim (Stages of the Path of Enlightenment) and Lojong (mind training), a useful selection of books on Bon (which the Dalai Lama has declared is a 'fifth sect' of Tibetan Buddhism), a remarkably wide range of biographies, many introductions to Buddhism, works on Buddhist philosophy, some fine art books and many travel books. There is also a collection of books in European foreign languages. All the branches of Buddhism (mostly Theravadin, Tibetan and Zen) are represented. The library has also recently benefited from a very generous donation by the sister of the late Buddhist scholar, John Ireland, who gave us an extensive collection of books in Pali and scholarly books on Theravadin Buddhism. Our library also holds a noteworthy collection of videos, from teachings by His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibetan culture, please contact the reception desk if you would like to hire one of them. DonationsThe library is stocked entirely from donations. We are therefore always grateful for donations, on all schools of Buddhism, and including comparative works (Buddhism and Christianity, Buddhism and philosophy, etc). Even if we already have the book, we can still make use of it - for example we can sell it second-hand. The money thus raised will be given to the Library Fund. I would also like to take this opportunity, via the website, to thank all the people who have donated books. I do not usually have the time to acknowledge donations personally, but please be assured that all donations are treasured. Building a library of this quality from donations only is a remarkable feat. We would be especially pleased to receive newer and more scholarly books, where the library is showing some shortfalls. We are also interested in works on Buddhism and world philosophies/religion, and comparative religion. BorrowingScholars are welcome to make use of the library by appointment. We hope presently to make the catalogue available on-line. Friends of Jamyang have borrowing rights (2 books at any one time for a month). For each video, we charge a small rental fee, please ask the receptionist on duty. Reading The library is housed in an attractive room in the Centre, and is 'overlooked' by the scholars and masters of the Gelugpa order of Tibetan Buddhism. The whole room is under the benign gaze of a large photograph of the 13th Dalai Lama. |
 Jamyang Buddhist Centre, The Old Courthouse, 43 Renfrew Road, London SE11 4NA tel: +44 (0) 20 7820 8787 fax: +44 (0) 20 7820 8605 email: admin@jamyang.co.uk |
In the summer of 2000, the entire roof was renovated using
traditional
The former Clerk's office has been converted into a food
preparation and service area, and the high-security courtyard is now a pleasant
walled garden where food and drinks may be enjoyed when served at teachings and
during retreats. The Courtyard also houses a beautifully stone-carved Paranirvana
Buddha statue made by Nick Durnham. The transformation from courthouse to
Buddhist-based community centre is unique. As the building was designed for
public use, it is proving exceptionally well-suited to its new purpose.
