Fieldend in Strawberry Hill, Twickenham, is widely considered to be one of the most appealing of the Span estates (for more information on Span, please see the HISTORY section). The house being offered for sale is one of the best-located of the 51 houses on the secluded 5-acre site. Set in the middle of the site, away from the road, and overlooking communal gardens, the terraced house has the added benefit of being well maintained (a new roof was recently put on) and in good order throughout.
The ground floor, which is largely glazed both at the front and rear, incorporates an open-plan kitchen / dining / living and study area with original parquet flooring. There are three bedrooms and a bathroom on the first floor. There is also a large south-facing garden to the rear and, located close by, a garage. Parking at Fieldend is unrestricted and there are always plenty of spaces available. As with all Span houses, this property offers light and airy spaces in a pleasant and natural setting.
The Fieldend houses (a mixture of the T1 and T2 styles of Span housing) were built in 1960–61, and soon picked up a number of awards, including a Civic Trust Award and a Housing Gold Award. More recently, Fieldend has been designated a Conservation Area in recognition of its architectural merit and excellent landscaping. All residents of Fieldend pay an annual service charge (approximately £850 per year), which goes towards maintaining the communal gardens, painting the exteriors of the houses and window cleaning.
Strawberry Hill is a popular residential area in the London Borough of Richmond-Upon-Thames. Teddington and Twickenham high streets are both one mile away. Teddington has a good selection of restaurants, cafés and shops. Twickenham has a range of shops and pubs including a Waitrose and a farmers’ market on Saturdays.
The larger shopping areas of Kingston and Richmond are within easy reach. Fieldend is a ten-minute walk from the River Thames at Teddington Lock with access to the towpath and walking/cycling routes in both directions. Bushy Royal Park is also close by, next to Hampton Court Palace. Richmond Park is a few miles away. The local area is well served for schools, both private and state-run, junior and senior.
There are good transports links. Strawberry Hill train station (1/2 a mile away) offers services to London Waterloo with journey times of approximately 30 minutes. There are regular buses into Richmond (District Line Tube) and Kingston. It is a short drive to the M3, with good access to the M25 and M4.
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
Fieldend is one of thirty housing estates built across the UK between 1948 and 1984 by the development company Span, for whom Eric Lyons was the chief architect. Widely praised when built, and still much-loved today for their well-designed houses and intelligent and attractive landscaping, Span estates are a rare triumph of modern British housing. In his book The Spirit of Span Housing, James Strike writes that: “Span housing was the inspiration of two young men, who, during the 1930s, met as architectural students at the Regent Street Polytechnic. Eric Lyons and Geoffrey Townsend both had a keen interest in modern architecture […] They believed that there was a market for well-designed houses in carefully designed landscapes for the sort of people who recognised good design when they saw it – and they were right.”
In an article published in The Guardian in May 2007, the architecture critic Tom Dyckhoff wrote of Span houses: “From the 40s to 80s, architect Eric Lyons and developer Geoffrey Townsend built estates to ‘span the gap’ between jerry-built suburbia and architect-designed pads. Sharp, modern designs with space, light and well-planned interiors, plus lavishly landscaped communal gardens designed to foster a sense of community.”
Span was recently the subject on an exhibition at the Royal Institute of British Architects, and the accompanying catalogue offers a comprehensive celebration of the company’s estates, including Fieldend. The landscaping, in particular, is commented upon in the catalogue: “The planting at Fieldend emphasises the creation of an enclosure with an open space in the centre, surrounded by the dappled light of birch trees and with more garden-type plants near the houses.”
