Highgate Spinney VII
Crescent Road, London N8
Architect: Howard & Rotherham
Register for similar homes“A bold brick frontage and angular form serves as a riposte to the traditional Victorian streetscape”
Set in the Crouch End conservation area is this classic mid-century two-bedroom apartment in Highgate Spinney, one of the area’s most sought-after modernist buildings. The maisonette sits at the edge of the building, overlooking wide communal lawns to the rear and established herbaceous borders at the front, all surrounded by woodland. The split-level design, which unfolds over three offset floors, creates a strong flow of light and excellent sight lines throughout the apartment. There is secure off-street parking for one vehicle.
The Building
Highgate Spinney was built between 1964 and 1966 to a design by noted architects John Howard and Bruce Rotherham. It comprises 30 apartments in a secluded position on Crescent Road, surrounded by trees and communal gardens. The building is a linear block with a southeast street elevation, defined by an uncompromising architectural regularity. Its stark, jutting forms are sensitively softened by the surrounding greenery and the expanse of sky above. For more information on the architects, please see the History section below.
The Tour
Positioned at the end of a terrace of maisonettes, the apartment is accessed on the second floor along the slim brick and concrete balconies that run along the building. Painted stairs ascend immediately from the entranceway, with built-in storage, to the living room on the third floor, offset from the kitchen by a shorter series of steps. This half-open-plan design establishes a strong connection between the two key living spaces while allowing each to have a clear individual identity.
Wide windows in the living room, adorned by wooden shutters, overlook the leafy communal gardens at the rear. The adjacent kitchen has folding glazed doors, which open out to the first balcony. The plentiful light in the room is amplified by the glass splashback and simple white kitchen cabinetry.
From here, a final twist of the stairs rises to the bedrooms on the top floor. The stairwell has double-height ceilings with cleverly placed clerestory windows that illuminate the landing. There are two double bedrooms on opposite sides of the apartment. Glazed doors in the main bedroom open to the second balcony, allowing a refreshing through breeze in the summer and wonderful views of the tree canopies.
The bathroom, recently redone in a fresh white tile, lies in between the two bedrooms. The bath sits in a small recess beside the clerestory windows. There is a utility room off the landing.
Outdoor Space
The apartment has two private balconies. With ample space for pots and planting and leafy views of the surrounding streets, these are floating oases in the heart of the city. The front balcony opens from the kitchen catching the southerly sun, shaded by mature trees on the street. The second balcony opens directly from the rear bedroom on the fourth floor and has expansive views north towards Alexandra Palace.
There is an expansive communal garden, which is solely for the use of residents. It is impeccably maintained and is a tranquil spot that feels utterly secluded.
The Area
Crescent Road is a tranquil tree-lined street within walking distance of the shops and restaurants of Crouch End Broadway. To the west is Highgate Wood and the adjacent Queen’s Wood, with a playground and a large expanse of playing fields. To the north is Alexandra Park, and to the south is Finsbury Park, which are connected by Parkland Walk, a former railway line.
Highgate Village is nearby with a wide variety of shops, cafés, pubs and restaurants, including wine shop Bottle, popular pub The Flask, and fruit and veg shop Greens of Highgate. There is also The Grocery Post on Archway Road, which serves good coffee and groceries. There are excellent schools in the area, including Highgate School, Highgate Primary School, St Michael’s Primary School and Channing.
Highgate Spinney is a short walk from Coolhurst Tennis Club, as well as Coleridge Primary School, which is rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted.
Local transport links include Crouch Hill British Rail station and Highgate Underground station (Northern Line), as well as excellent local buses.
Tenure: Leasehold with Share of Freehold
Underlying Lease Length: approx. 975 years remaining
Service Charge: Approx. £2,800 per annum
Council Tax Band: E
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
Highgate Spinney was developed by Beale Construction Ltd. on a 1.3-acre suburban site that had previously accommodated four 19th-century houses. The first unit was opened as a show home in April 1965. Hornsey Borough Council stipulated that the historic trees at the front should be retained, that 75% of the accommodation should be earmarked for families, and that the height of the building should not exceed that of neighbouring houses.
The architects for the scheme, John Howard and Bruce Rotherham, managed to fit five storeys into the structure, while not exceeding the height of neighbouring houses, by excavating to what was effectively the basement and creating downward sloping access to the lowest level. The five-storey bulk is articulated by a cantilevered gallery at mid-level and, above it, balconies that are cantilevered even further out, stretching beyond the gallery balustrade. The building’s two short end walls are notable for their complete lack of openings. Here, projecting ramps and stairs provide access to the mid-level. In plan, the block comprises a middle tier of six studio apartments, sandwiched between two rows of 12 maisonettes, a reflection of the fact that the bulk of the building was intended for families.
John Howard and Bruce Rotherham brought earlier experiences to bear on the design of Highgate Spinney. For Rotherham, a New Zealander, this included his formative years with Group Architects in Auckland, which produced innovative small houses, particularly in timber. The group greatly admired the work of Le Corbusier, Frank Lloyd Wright and Alvar Aalto.
Rotherham moved to London in 1955, earning his Diploma from the Architectural Association and spending the bulk of his career in Britain. At the AA he was taught by both Peter Smithson and James Gowan, who had recently completed his seminal Langham House Close flats at Ham Common, which can be seen as something of a precursor to Highgate Spinney.
After graduation, Rotherham worked for Llewelyn-Davies & Weeks, which undertook housing, hotels, offices and urban planning projects, most notably the master planning of the new town of Milton Keynes. Concurrent with his time at the practice, he undertook several house additions and alterations under his own name, and he also had a brief partnership, between 1964 and 1966, with John Howard. Highgate Spinney is the partnership’s only known building.
Howard had attended the AA a few years earlier, and worked for a range of practices, including Ahrends, Burton & Koralek, the three partners of which had been among his AA classmates. Both architects had much in common, from their AA diplomas to their mutual passions for art, music and building. Both built houses for themselves: Rotherham in the Auckland suburb of Stanley Bay and Howard in Camden, north London (which was sold previously by The Modern House. Camden Mews).
