North Hill in Highgate, north London is a unique road in the UK, probably in Europe and possibly in the world! It's about half-a-mile in length and contains an absolutely incredible variety of English domestic architecture; almost a complete collection of all the styles and variety since Tudor times. Here is a selection of some of the more interesting buildings. More will follow in a future post.
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| 41 North Hill, Highgate London |
Number 41 was built in 1600, at the end of the Tudor period although in the Elizabethan age. Its typically Tudor arrangement of black beams on white walls is far too tidy to be the original design and it was extensively remodelled in 1926. It is easily the oldest building in the street.
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| 121 North Hill, Highgate |
Number
121, an almost over-the-top Gothic Revival house from 1880 is
unusual for the style in being symmetrical. It was the first appearance of glazed panels in the front door. The sills are made from an
artificial aggregate called coade stone, named for its inventor, Mrs Coade who took the secret of its manufacturing process to her grave. Personally I rather like the downstairs windows and all the fussy details and additions.
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Morven House, 6 North Hill, Highgate
Number 6 was badly neglected when used by Haringey as sheltered accommodation for homeless people and drug addicts. Now fully restored, one can see the Palladlian-influenced building at its best. The stucco on the ground floor has been incised to give the appearance of large pieces of masonry. Stucco would have been much cheaper than stonework. The first-floor railings are also typical.
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80 North Hill, Highgate
Number 80 is a typical Edwardian house built around 1905 and is, perhaps surprisingly, the only example in this street. Features include the recessed entrance below an upstairs window and, above the upstairs bay, is something that became very popular during the inter-war years: small areas of pebble-dash between wooden verticals, possibly reminiscent of the Tudor style.
169-175 North Hill, Springfield Cottages, Highgate
Springfield Cottages, 169-175. Built in 1877, this neat row of cottages shows the influence of the 1870 Building Regulations: the taller chimney stacks and you can just make out the vertical row of bricks between the properties, which acted to stop the spread of fire. Also, not really visible, there is a row of blue bricks along the base which helped to prevent damp. These cottages had bay windows where the earlier Georgian ones would have had bow windows
I'm listening to the irresistible Negro Y Azul, The Ballad of Heisenberg by Los Cuates de Sinaloa
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9 comments:
I lived in Mill Hill for a year and knew Highgate quite well. But I had forgotten how lovely the Highgate architecture was. Late Victorian, Gothic Revival and Edwardian homes all in the same area - you cannot get more beautiful than that. The Palladian-style home is harder to pin down, date wise.
Hello Bazza, I love exploring a neighborhood to see all the architectural styles, and deciding which houses I would like to live in. Your Highgate area reminds me of some of the inner-ring suburbs of Cleveland, which feature high-quality houses in a range of styles, although the Highgate examples are mostly a bit older.
--Jim
Hi Bazza - how interesting ... it's an area I don't know - I'd love to see the street at some stage. Eleanor Coade was a really interesting entrepreneurial woman ... thanks for showing us this interesting street - cheers Hilary
Hels: It is a lovely area and VERY expensive. It's full of high-profile residents (and not just in the famous cemetery where Karl Marx reposes) I forgot to say that the Palladian style villa is early nineteenth century but, as you say, it's hard to pin down.
Jim: The thing about Highgate (well North Hill at least) is the comprehensive range of homes to be seen. We spent last Sunday morning selecting our own favourites and there are plenty more for another post! Our final choice was very modest.....
Hilary: You'd have to be a good walker - the top of North Hill is one of the highest points in London. Nearby is London's highest church, St Michael's, the floor of which is level with the top of St Pauls.
Fascinating. One sees all of these styles (except the first) in various places in London, but not usually together. I'd not have suspected that the first one was actually Tudor originally – how it looks now, as you say, is very much 'imitation Tudor', in part because the timbers are clearly not structural. But noteworthy anyhow!
Philip: At first glance that house from 1600 looks like it could be 20th century Tudor Style (and, of course to a certain extent it is!) I was guided by a leaflet that was published by Haringey Council.
https://www.haringey.gov.uk/sites/haringeygovuk/files/north_hill_architectural_walk.pdf
I should have credited that really because I cribbed from it mainly. But I have walked up the long hill that is North Hill!
Hi Bazza - interesting to know the church is at the same level as St Paul's south across London ... and I'm not a good walker - never have been sadly ... but I get places - and Highgate is really an area I should get to at some stage - no idea when! Cheers Hilary
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