Taymount Grange VI
Taymount Rise, London SE23

£315,000
Leasehold

Architect: G. Bertram Carter

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“An exceptionally bright apartment in the iconic Taymount Grange”

This incredibly elegant one-bedroom apartment is on the ground floor of the little-known modernist gem Taymount Grange. Internally, sensitive contemporary additions have been meticulously introduced to complement a plethora of original features. The estate has an abundance of green spaces and sits within extensive communal gardens, which contain allotments and wide lawns. The building sits at the centre of Forest Hill with its leafy woodland walks and many lovely cafés.

The Building

Designed by George Bertram Carter, Taymount Grange is instantly recognisable by its white-painted stucco punctuated by the striking mint-coloured Crittall windows. Its communal areas are in very good condition and still retain many of their original art deco features. Smart lifts and richly carpeted stairwells hint at the glamour of the building’s early life when a restaurant and lounge occupied the lower floors. The apartment has an intercom system for access. The building also has a caretaker and plenty of bike storage. For more information, please see the History section below.

The Tour

Recently renovated by the current owner, the interior aesthetic of this apartment is characterised by pale, pared-back tones which are utterly sympathetic to the building’s art-deco character. Floorboards installed during the building’s construction have been carefully retained and exposed. Likewise, the original Crittall windows, complete with brass handles, remain, allowing light to flow around the plan. Original cast-iron radiators have been refurbished throughout.

The apartment has an intercom system for access. Entry to the apartment is on the ground floor, opening into a hallway lined with shelving that connects all the rooms. The kitchen and living space overlooks the beautifully maintained communal lawns and feels very private. The kitchen has been recently refurbished with sleek white cabinetry and plywood-edged work surfaces.

The bathroom sits centrally between the living area and the bedroom. The room feels incredibly bright, care of a large Crittall window that sends ripples of light across the space. The walls have been completely retiled with white porcelain tiles, and dark grey grouting has been added to create a subtle contrast. A built-in bath has been fitted with a roomy waterfall shower and a neat ceramic Barbican-style sink. Space has been thoughtfully maximised across shelving and recessed nooks for toiletries. Italian terrazzo runs underfoot.

The airy main bedroom is located on the far end of the plan and is also characterised by a large Crittall window and original built-in cabinet. Mirroring the living space, the bedroom also looks out onto the green lawns.

Outdoor Space

All residents of Taymount Grange enjoy the use of communal gardens to the front and rear of the building. These tranquil gardens include a shared barbeque area and established allotments with a variety of fruit trees.

The Area

Taymount Grange is located close to the Horniman Museum and Gardens. It is well-placed for the shops and restaurants of Dulwich Village and East Dulwich, as well as the open spaces of Sydenham Woods and Dulwich Park. Local highlights include Bona, Pantry, and Aga’s Little Deli.

All of the amenities of Forest Hill, including the railway station, are approximately five minutes away on foot. Regular trains run from Forest Hill to London Bridge, with a journey time of 12 minutes. The station is also now part of the London Overground, with trains to Dalston via Canada Water (Jubilee Line), Shadwell (DLR), Shoreditch High Street and Whitechapel (District and Hammersmith & City Lines).

Tenure: Leasehold
Lease Length: approx.  109 years remaining
Service Charge: approx. £2,000 per annum
Ground Rent: approx. £200 per annum
Council Tax Band: B

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.


History

Taymount Grange was built in 1935 to designs by English architect George Bertram Carter. Carter had studied at Blackheath School of Art between 1911 and 1915 before joining the Royal School of Art. He worked at Edwin Lutyens’ office as a student before setting up his own practice in Clifford’s Inn in 1929. Prior to Taymount Grange, Carter was responsible for two large factory designs in Tottenham and Whitechapel respectively. Carter designed both Taymount Grange and Lichfield Court (now Grade II-listed) in Richmond in 1935.

Taymount Grange sits at the top of Taymount Rise in Forest Hill, on the previous sites of Taymount, a 19th-century house, and Queens Tennis Club. It embodies the ‘style moderne’ aesthetic that stemmed from the art deco movement during the 1930s. Unlike art deco, style moderne – also known as ‘streamline moderne’ or ‘ocean liner style’ – prioritised clean shapes, long horizontal forms, and a lack of ornamentation.

In his thesis The Servant Problem Solved: Modernist 1930s Residential Blocks, Damian Minto describes the history of Taymount Grange:

“[It] is built on the site of the original Queens tennis club. An important similarity with many modernist schemes was the fact that the existing earlier building (often a detached villa) was to be demolished to make way for the new block of flats. The site’s natural contours made it an ideal location for panoramic views of the London docks and rural edges of suburbia, a feature of which the flats take full advantage. The aimed new tenants were the middle classes – an important similarity with all modernist British residential schemes.

“Facilities available for residents included guestrooms, lounge, restaurant, terrace, landscaped gardens, swimming pool, seven tennis courts and a putting green. Taymount Grange was also fully staffed with everyone from porters to domestic help.”

From the expanses of white-painted stucco to the handsome metal windows and chrome-handled entrance doors, Taymount Grange has retained the unmistakably Thirties details that give it a romantic Modernist appeal.


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