NOS 20A, 20, 22 24, 26, 28, 30 AND 30A AND 45, 47, 49 TO 66, 67, 69, 71 TO 88, 91 AND 93 TO 110 COLESHILL FLATS

Coleshill Flats is a large block of flatted artisan housing built in 1870 by the Improved Industrial Dwellings Company (IIDC). The building is constructed of white brick with red brick banding, stucco dressings, and leaded mansard roofs. It comprises five storeys and an attic, with a width of twelve bays. The outer bays at each end, and the fourth, fifth, eighth, and ninth bays are slightly projected, featuring square-headed architraved sash windows with glazing bars and pedimental block courses to the first floor. The recessed bays feature access balconies with cast iron balustrades and spandrels. The mansard roofs are adorned with cast-iron cresting and gabled dormers. The ground floor contains shops, separated by stucco pilasters and access stairways.

The IIDC was founded in 1863 and was an early builder of public social housing in Britain. It operated as a commercial company demonstrating the viability of providing quality housing for artisans at a sustainable rent, with a modest five percent profit. The design of Coleshill Flats was adapted from the work of architect Henry Roberts, particularly a prototype design constructed at the Great Exhibition of 1851 showcasing flatted accommodation accessed by recessed balconies and open stairs, capable of vertical and lateral expansion. While Roberts’ design influenced the overall appearance, the interior layouts were designed by Sydney Waterlow and Matthew Allen themselves.

The building is designated at Grade II for its historic interest as an example of public housing built by an organization aiming to improve living conditions for London’s urban poor, and for its architectural merit as a well-preserved example of its type, intended to provide light, ventilated, and well-constructed accommodation. The balconies with ironwork and open stair wells are characteristic features of IIDC housing.