Located in the peaceful setting of Westrow in Putney, this light-filled three-bedroom house was built in 1961 by the renowned development company Span. It was sympathetically extended in 1973 by the Swiss architect Walter Strebel, who also lived at Westrow, to add a lovely sunken living space with a west-facing flat roof above to the original Eric Lyons design. The house retains its best mid-century features, and offers a great opportunity to restore and renovate a rare original.

Westrow is one of the smaller and lesser-known Span estates, with 12 ‘T8’ houses, all with private gardens. The cluster of houses lies within gated landscaped gardens, a short walk from Putney High Street and close to the wild green spaces of Richmond Park. This particular house lies at the end of the terrace, and entry is from the immediately recognisable wood-framed and glass-panelled Span-design porch with chequerboard floor tiles.

From here there is a study on the left, beyond which is the open-plan living space. Parquet floors lead to a lovely sunken living room, with concealed planters laid into the sandy-hued terracotta tiles. The extension was carefully conceived, its bare London-stock brick walls and wood-panelled ceiling fitting seamlessly with the original Lyons design. Metal-framed sliding doors open onto the west-facing garden. The ground-floor extension lengthens the living spaces considerably, creating a wonderfully-proportioned east-west oriented space that is flooded with natural light. The kitchen runs adjacent to the living room, with the same wood-panelled ceilings and views to the garden.

The centre of the plan retains all of the original features, with a sliding door to conceal the staircase from the living room. This core section is filled with light from a skylight, set in the wood-panelled ceiling. The bathroom with separate WC is entirely original.

The landing upstairs has softly worn boards that run into the bedrooms. The three bedrooms all look to the mature treetops and the smaller of the three opens to the large west-facing flat roof, currently used as a terrace.

Span are perhaps the most celebrated of all 20th-century residential developers and many of their buildings throughout the south of England are now listed. The company built 30 housing estates in total between 1948 and 1984. Schooled in the Modern Movement, having worked for Walter Gropius while the Bauhaus designer was in the UK from 1936 to 1937, Eric Lyons founded Span with architect-turned-developer Geoff Townsend. Their designs sought to bring the tenants of Modernism – light, openness, a sense of order – to suburban areas with generous landscaping and on a domestic scale.

Westrow is located just off Westleigh Avenue, close to the shops, restaurants and transport facilities of Putney High Street. It is a short five-minute walk to Putney Heath, beyond which are the much-loved Putney Village, Richmond Park and Wimbledon Common.

East Putney underground station (District Line) and Putney Train station (Overground services to London Waterloo and towards the South-East) are within walking distance. There are also good bus routes, and easy access to the A3. Westrow has off-street parking for residents.

Tenure: Freehold
Service Charge: approx. £88 per month (includes maintenance of communal gardens and grounds)

Please note that all areas, measurements and distances given in these particulars are approximate and rounded. The text, photographs and floor plans are for general guidance only. The Modern House has not tested any services, appliances or specific fittings — prospective purchasers are advised to inspect the property themselves. All fixtures, fittings and furniture not specifically itemised within these particulars are deemed removable by the vendor.