Tower Gardens Estate
Encyclopedia
Tower Gardens in North Tottenham
is a distinctive semi-circular estate bounded by Lordship Lane
and the Roundway. Constructed between 1904 and 1928, it was one of the first municipal "cottage estates" in the world. It is now a conservation area and recently featured in Open House London
. When first built by the London County Council
(LCC) it was known as the White Hart Lane Estate.
The estate consists of 954 houses arranged in 24 streets, each with its own architectural style. Their appearance was influenced by the Garden City Movement
founded by Sir Ebenezer Howard
.
The properties are mostly two-up, two-down with some three bed houses and also flats in Topham Square. The houses remain cheap by London standards.
The curiously named streets belie the area's history. Most appear to be named after someone who once owned the land, from Siward, Earl of Northumberland, in the time of Edward the Confessor, through to Thomas Smith in 1792.
of the time construction was under the architect W.E Riley a member of the artworkers guild. The façades change all over the estate and in places terraces of four houses were designed to look like country mansions.
Features of interest include the gables, gable dormer
s, impressive chimney
s, long roofs, low eaves, porches and two story projecting bays. Images can be found in the Conway Library's online collection.
Earlier houses are small and have front doors opening into the single reception room. When they were built they would have had outside toilets. Later houses benefited from new legislation and have front doors opening on to a hall with stairs and often a second reception room.
Tottenham
Tottenham is an area of the London Borough of Haringey, England, situated north north east of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:Tottenham is believed to have been named after Tota, a farmer, whose hamlet was mentioned in the Domesday Book; hence Tota's hamlet became Tottenham...
is a distinctive semi-circular estate bounded by Lordship Lane
Lordship Lane (Haringey)
Lordship Lane connects Wood Green with Tottenham High Road . It lies in the London Borough of Haringey and forms part of the A109 road.-History:...
and the Roundway. Constructed between 1904 and 1928, it was one of the first municipal "cottage estates" in the world. It is now a conservation area and recently featured in Open House London
Open House London
Open House London is an organisation which promotes appreciation of architecture by the general public. It organises tours, lectures, educational projects for children and so on, but it is best known for Open House Weekend, a two-day event which takes place on one weekend each September throughout...
. When first built by the London County Council
London County Council
London County Council was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889–1965 existence, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today known as Inner London and was replaced by the Greater London Council...
(LCC) it was known as the White Hart Lane Estate.
The estate consists of 954 houses arranged in 24 streets, each with its own architectural style. Their appearance was influenced by the Garden City Movement
Garden city movement
The garden city movement is a method of urban planning that was initiated in 1898 by Sir Ebenezer Howard in the United Kingdom. Garden cities were intended to be planned, self-contained communities surrounded by "greenbelts" , containing proportionate areas of residences, industry and...
founded by Sir Ebenezer Howard
Ebenezer Howard
Sir Ebenezer Howard is known for his publication Garden Cities of To-morrow , the description of a utopian city in which people live harmoniously together with nature. The publication resulted in the founding of the garden city movement, that realized several Garden Cities in Great Britain at the...
.
The properties are mostly two-up, two-down with some three bed houses and also flats in Topham Square. The houses remain cheap by London standards.
The curiously named streets belie the area's history. Most appear to be named after someone who once owned the land, from Siward, Earl of Northumberland, in the time of Edward the Confessor, through to Thomas Smith in 1792.
Architecture
The terraced houses in N17 are small and were not expensively built but they have lots of little interesting architectural features which differ with every street. They are predominantly brick, tile and pebble dash cottages in a style that owes something to the Arts and Crafts movementArts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
of the time construction was under the architect W.E Riley a member of the artworkers guild. The façades change all over the estate and in places terraces of four houses were designed to look like country mansions.
Features of interest include the gables, gable dormer
Dormer
A dormer is a structural element of a building that protrudes from the plane of a sloping roof surface. Dormers are used, either in original construction or as later additions, to create usable space in the roof of a building by adding headroom and usually also by enabling addition of windows.Often...
s, impressive chimney
Chimney
A chimney is a structure for venting hot flue gases or smoke from a boiler, stove, furnace or fireplace to the outside atmosphere. Chimneys are typically vertical, or as near as possible to vertical, to ensure that the gases flow smoothly, drawing air into the combustion in what is known as the...
s, long roofs, low eaves, porches and two story projecting bays. Images can be found in the Conway Library's online collection.
Earlier houses are small and have front doors opening into the single reception room. When they were built they would have had outside toilets. Later houses benefited from new legislation and have front doors opening on to a hall with stairs and often a second reception room.
Influence of the Garden Suburb
Whilst the design of the estate was influenced by the Garden City Movement, the grid layout of the lower half of the estate was not entirely in the tradition of the garden suburbs, nor was the density of housing. However some houses were set back behind small greens and a large green area was provided for recreation including tennis and bowls. The trees lining the streets are protected and provide a boulevard feel, particularly Risley Avenue, privet hedges to the front fascia of the properties within the conservation area are protected.Tower Gardens Streets
- Risley Avenue
- Tower Gardens Road
- Gospatrick Road
- Henningham Road
- Teynton Terrace
- Chesthunte Road
- Wateville Road
- Kevelioc Road
- Spigurnell Road
- Waltheof Avenue
- Siward Road
- Shobden Road
- Walden Road
- Awlfield Avenue
- Cumberton Road
- Topham Square
- Balliol Road
- Bennington Road
- De Quincey Road
- Smithson Road
- Waltheof Gardens
- Gedeney Road
- Deyncourt Road