10/10A Old St Andrew'S Mansions

Two flats, built in 1936 by Ernest George Trobridge. The building is constructed of brick, with rendered areas and half-timbering to the upper storey and gable, and has a tiled roof. It is two storeys high, with a flat on each floor. An external brick staircase leads to the upper flat, which is positioned behind a brick retaining wall. The windows are timber casement windows with lattice glazing, some with projecting hoods. The original doors have been stripped and varnished. The interiors are not documented but are believed to retain panelling to the living rooms, with a picture rail, deep frieze, and ceiling cove. The doors are lined with the same timber. Other rooms feature coved ceilings, and the bedrooms have a picture rail. The property is part of the best surviving group of flats designed by Trobridge, who was an idiosyncratic local architect. His surviving works are predominantly in the Kingsbury area, where he lived. His own house in Slough Lane is already listed. Trobridge initially gained recognition in the 1920s for timber-framed houses built using unseasoned timber and labour from ex-servicemen, creating affordable and distinctive homes. In the 1930s, he extended his practice to flats, still incorporating quirky detailing. Only numbers 1/1a to 12/12a of St Andrew's Mansions remain in listable condition. The detailing is inspired by Trobridge’s devout Swedenborgian beliefs, a system which linked worldly, spiritual, and divine ideas. Trobridge himself stated that this philosophy influenced every aspect of his designs, resulting in idiosyncratic chimney stacks, staircases, and exterior details. His understanding of timber also enriched the interiors of his rented housing, making them remarkable.