The Ryde VIII
Hatfield, Hertfordshire
Architect: Phippen, Randall & Parkes
Register for similar homes“A perfectly judged series of interlocking spaces, holding a harmonious balance of mid-century architecture and modern interventions”
The subject of recent meticulous and sensitive renovations, this beautiful five-bedroom mid-terrace house in Hertfordshire forms part of the renowned Grade II-listed Cockaigne Housing Group. Configured over a single storey, the fluid living spaces unfold around 1,899 sq ft in a playful rectangular plan of grids and glazing. Bathed in natural light, the contemporary interiors are seamlessly interwoven with the house’s mid-century bones. There is off-street parking, a garage and lush gardens at the front and rear. The house is a 10-minute walk from Hatfield Station, where regular trains run to London.
The Architects
These exceptional houses, conceived by architects Peter Phippen, Peter Randall and David Parkes, are celebrated as one of Britain’s finest post-war private housing schemes. The houses were designed around internal courtyards and set out with linear front-to-back layouts of flowing spaces, variable in length. Together they form a long, staggered-fronted, unified terrace. For more information, please see the History section below.
The Tour
The house sits back from the road. A short path cuts across a front garden with beds of bushy planting and tall, broad-leafed trees before arriving at the primary entrance. The front door is recessed between two lateral wings. From here, views run the length of the house, along the hallway to the rear terrace and the courtyard garden.
Upon entry, it is immediately apparent that the house is a harmonious balance between mid-century architecture and chic modern insertions. The renovation has been conceived with clarity of thought, resulting in a home rich in charm and warmth. Sunlight bathes the interiors through walls of floor-to-ceiling glazing and the many traversing skylights above.
To move through the house is to encounter a perfectly judged series of interlocking rooms. Sliding doors centrally mean the house’s layout can be configured in various ways, offering scope for flexible living arrangements. Currently, accommodation is arranged across two long bays. The kitchen, dining room and living room sit within the wider bay. Along the narrower is a library, four bedrooms, a studio/bedroom and two bathrooms; one an en suite to the main bedroom.
The most impressive room in the house is the open-plan living space. Lined in matt finished, softly golden pine cladding, this is an incredibly bright room with an entire wall of glass at one end, opening onto the patio and garden beyond. A fireplace centres the room. A sliding door allows easy access to the equally sunny kitchen, recently updated and organised in a sociable, open layout. Runs of dark grey cabinetry sit beneath Dekton worktops. The dining room lies behind in one of the original external courtyards, which has since been enclosed. Light floods this space care of the glazed roof, making it an excellent spot for easy entertaining.
The central courtyard has been fully enclosed, and three of the perimeter walls are fully glazed, the other exposed and painted white; a fully glazed roof sits atop. A wonderfully tranquil spot, the current owners use this area as a library. The room opens to a small snug, which makes for a handy additional workspace.
The main bedroom is exceptionally light. It has plenty of in-built cabinetry, an en suite bathroom and floor-to-ceiling glazing framing views of the garden. The four further bedrooms are bathed in light and also have a plethora of storage. Lying off the hall is the modern family bathroom, with a clean neutral palette illuminated by another large skylight.
A utility room completes the layout, opening directly to the garage.
Outdoor Space
The attractive front garden provides a welcome introduction to the house and abuts the private driveway and garage. The calming tranquillity of the house extends into the rear garden. Laid out in paved terracing, this courtyard is a haven of densely planted billowing grasses, dramatic bushes, colourful bulbs and scented climbers, attracting bees and butterflies.
Adjacent to the living room and the main suite is a lovely sunny patio, the perfect spot to relax and enjoy morning coffees and alfresco dining. Beyond, separated by blackened stripped fencing and a gate giving direct access, are the communal gardens.
Owners of Cockaigne houses have a share of extensive communal gardens across the site, spanning just under three acres in total, which includes a tennis court and a secure children’s play area. There is also an invaluable community house, which hosts yoga sessions, supper clubs and Christmas get-togethers, and a self-contained one-bedroom guest flat, which residents can book for visitors for a nominal charge.
The Area
The shops of Welwyn Garden City (including John Lewis and Waitrose), St Albans, Hereford and Hatfield are a short drive away, and many supermarkets lie within walking distance.
Stanborough Lakes are an excellent summer destination for open-water swimming, and there are many local golf courses. The Ryde is also close to the historic site of Hatfield House, Park and Gardens and residents of this area are entitled to apply for a pass that allows them access to Hatfield Park throughout the year (for a nominal charge).
The area has several well-regarded schools.
Hatfield railway station can be reached on foot in approximately 10 minutes. Trains run direct to London King’s Cross (about 27 minutes) and London Moorgate (approximately 40 minutes).
Tenure: Share of Freehold
Lease Length: approx. 938 years
Service Charge: approx. £630 per annum
Ground Rent: approx. £50 per annum
Council Tax Band: F
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
Considered by English Heritage as “the leading English manifestation of the courtyard home”, The Ryde is deemed to be one of the finest post-war housing schemes in Britain. The Cockaigne Housing Group was originally the idea of Michael Baily, a journalist at The Times, who was inspired by communal housing projects created in Scandinavia. In 1962 he placed an advert in The Times seeking support for his project and the response allowed him to put his plan into action. Later that year, Baily met the architects Peter Randall and David Parkes, both of whom had worked on an “adaptable house” that had gained a lot of attention at the Ideal Home Exhibition in London and were perfect for this project. However, Baily’s efforts to find suitable land in London proved fruitless; instead, he persuaded the Hatfield Development Corporation to give over almost three acres of land on a long-term lease.
The Ryde was Randall and Parkes’ first commission, enabling them to establish PRP Architects with Peter Phippen. The practice was hugely influenced by the brave new world spirit of the Festival of Britain and by contemporary research carried out by The Ministry of Housing and the Local Government Research and Development Group where Randall and Parkes had worked. The practice was set apart by its philosophy of designing for and with the individuals and the communities who would occupy the houses. Fundamentally they saw themselves as functionalists, at the zeitgeist of mid-century architectural thinking. They too looked to Scandinavia for inspiration, particularly towards Denmark.
With The Ryde, Baily commented, they sought “to work out afresh the needs of a family of today.” There was a desire to balance holistically communal aspects of the scheme whilst maintaining the privacy of each house. The scheme was conceived as a long, low terrace of single-storey houses. The focus, however, was on each individual dwelling and taken as a whole the community is without grand formal expression. Each house has its own street frontage of two staggered bays that stretch inwards towards a hidden communal garden. The wider of the bays, approximately 3.6m in width, contains the principle living areas whilst the subsidiary bay of bedrooms and bathrooms is approximately 2.4 – 2.6m in width. Numerous variations were generated from these fundamentals, giving one to four bedrooms and one or more internal courtyards that brought light and air into the centre of the deep plans.
This unique development of courtyard houses received widespread recognition and made way for similar PRP Architects schemes at Shrublands and Forestfield. Its historical significance was recognised in 2006 with a Grade II listing. It remains an iconic project of its day.
