Cheltenham Estate

Cheltenham Estate

The Cheltenham Estate comprises five terraces of houses and two blocks of flats, built in brick cross-wall construction with concrete floors. The buildings are finished in buff brick with bull-nose corners, with slate roofs to the houses and grey brick garden walls.

Houses

The five terraces are aligned north-south and comprise four parallel rows of seven houses (Nos. 1-13, 2-14, 87-99 and 88-100) and one row of six houses (Nos. 81-86) standing to the north-east of the site in alignment with Nos. 88-100. All are three storeys high with an integral garage at the front and a rear garden enclosed by a brick wall with a timber gate.

The concrete floor is exposed as a bush-hammered frieze above the ground floor, above which the façades are clad in painted plywood panels (a number have been replaced). The brick party walls are also expressed externally, projecting beyond the floors, with bull-nosed bricks. The upper floors originally had square pivoting windows, and the rear ground-floor kitchens had full-height sliding doors. A number have now been replaced. Other alterations include the addition of metal balconets and a small number of rear extensions (not of special interest). The roofs have an asymmetrical profile with staggered double-pitch and clerestory along the east side.

The terraces follow two standard plans: Type J (Nos. 1-13 and 87-99), with east access and Type K (the remainder), with west access. They differ externally in that the garages of the Type J terraces project further beyond the façade, while the façades of the rear ground-floor rooms are recessed. Nos. 81-86 differ in that the houses are stepped in pairs to follow the site's incline, and the party walls are stepped out in a scallop profile towards the base.

The internal plan comprised a garage, entrance hall and dining kitchen at ground floor, a large living room and bedroom at first floor, and two bedrooms and bathroom above. The staircase is placed axially between the front and rear rooms. The plan is not mirrored (the conventional arrangement for opposing terraces); the deeper half of the house, containing the living room, is placed on the western side in each terrace, and the clerestory lighting the stair on the east, to maximise daylight. This explains why the garages are brought further out in the east-facing houses. The interiors are notable mainly for their top-lit stairs with sloping roofs. Two interiors inspected retain original joinery such as flush built-in cupboards and doors, steel door and window furniture, and stairs with a timber balustrade. The special interest of the houses resides primarily in their external architectural quality.

Flats at Nos. 15-50 Edenham Way

A six-storey L-shaped block of 36 flats, with six flats per floor accessed from concrete balconies at the rear (north). The lift tower is placed at the external angle of the L, with vertical glazing. The concrete floors are exposed as bush-hammered bands to each storey; concrete parapet and flat roofs. The front elevations of the flats, facing west or south, have a full-height timber window with a central pivoting light and narrower top and bottom lights, and a recessed balcony set behind a steel balustrade. Cantilevered concrete access balconies to the rear have bush-hammered faces and metal windows. Interiors were not inspected.

Flats at Nos. 51-80 Edenham Way

Six storeys high, comprising 30 flats and maisonettes and a community hall. The ground and first floors are maisonettes with gardens enclosed by grey brick walls; above are five flats per floor, arranged asymmetrically to either side of a deeply recessed lift tower and a flat-roofed first-floor community room which projects over the entrance, a simplified version of that over the entrance to Trellick Tower. The concrete floors are exposed as projecting bush-hammered bands to each storey, and the brick cross walls between each flat are also expressed externally, projecting beyond the floors.

The front elevations of the flats have a full-height timber window with a central pivoting light and narrower top and bottom lights, plus a square window set in a plywood-clad wall. The roof has a concrete parapet. The community room is faced in bush-hammered concrete and has a continuous band of metal mullioned windows. The rear elevation is faced in brick. Concrete canopies cover maisonette entrances; above these are cantilevered concrete access balconies with bush-hammered faces and metal windows. Timber glazed doors (some replaced) have glazed margin lights. One flat interior inspected retains original joinery, steel door and window furniture and flush built-in cupboards. The special interest of the flats resides primarily in their external architectural quality.