Numbers 2-26 With Retaining Walls

Numbers 2-26, a staggered terrace of thirteen bungalows for old-age pensioners, were designed between 1952 and 1953 and built from 1957 to 1958 by the London County Council's Architect's Department. The architects involved included Colin Lucas as Architect in Charge, along with J A Partridge, W G Howell, J A W Killick, S F Amis, J R Galley, and R Stout as job architects. The bungalows feature brick and concrete cross-wall construction with roughcast infill panels and flat roofs that are balanced by high concrete stacks, giving the group a distinctive character. Each single-storey unit has a rectangular shape with recessed porches at both the front and back. The glazing and panels under the windows have been replaced with UPVC, designed to resemble the original appearance, while the flush timber doors maintain their original design. There is a storage area, which was formerly a fuel store, incorporated into the front wall. Retaining walls enclose a small garden area at the front, and there is an open grassed area at the rear that is part of the overall composition.

The interiors consist of a large single room with a fireplace, a linen cupboard, and a bed recess; the kitchen and bathroom are not considered of special interest. These bungalows are a charming feature of the Alton West development, deliberately designed to contrast with the larger slabs and point blocks nearby, further emphasized by their quirky chimneys. This combination of large and small buildings exemplifies the idea of 'mixed development,' catering to various ages and needs, with Alton West being a prime example. The bungalows also form a cohesive group with the 18th-century listed Mount Clare located behind them. Their informal arrangement and open roadways evoke the character of the original parklands, while these small units integrate well with the taller blocks across the spine road and on the higher slope.