The Story Behind Heddle

As we begin exploring the fascinating histories behind the buildings at Heritage Square, it feels only fitting to start with one of the most recognisable names on the square: Heddle.

The story begins in the late 1800s, when Arthur George Brownell left his hometown of Southport in the United Kingdom in search of new opportunities in Cape Town. A building materials agent by trade, Arthur soon became a business partner to Robert Heddle, who had already established R. Heddle & Co., a building supplies company operating from 71 Buitengracht Street.

The partnership proved to be a significant chapter in the city’s commercial history. Tragically, Robert Heddle is believed to have passed away during the 1919 influenza pandemic. Arthur George Brownell subsequently acquired both the company and the building. Yet, in a gesture that honoured the business’s legacy, he chose to retain the name R. Heddle & Co.; a name that would remain synonymous with the building for decades to come.

Arthur’s son, Hugh Brownell, born in Cape Town in 1913, joined his father in the family business and dedicated his entire working life to R. Heddle & Co. When Hugh retired, the tradition continued with his own son, Geoffrey Brownell. Born in Cape Town in 1951, Geoffrey joined the company in his early twenties during the 1970s, eventually taking over both the business and ownership of the Heddle building, just as his father and grandfather had before him.

For nearly 80 years (from around 1919 until the late 1990s) three generations of the Brownell family owned and cared for both R. Heddle & Co. and the building that still bears its name today. Geoffrey eventually sold the company and the Heddle building in the late 1990s, bringing to a close an extraordinary chapter spanning almost a century of family stewardship.

As you wander through Heritage Square, remember that you’re walking through the lives and legacies of the people who built them. And this is only the beginning. In the coming months, we’ll continue uncovering the stories behind the remarkable buildings that make Heritage Square such a special place.

Watch this space!