Tylney Avenue
London SE19
Architect: Austin Vernon & Partners
Register for similar homes"The Dulwich Estate was begun with intention to set the buildings in the existing mature landscaping, retaining the large mature trees and creating quiet car-free private roads."
This four-bedroom house forms part of Dulwich Wood Park, the first and largest project undertaken by Wates under the direction of Austin Vernon & Partners on the Dulwich Estate. Built in the early 1960s it retains many of the classic mid-century design details that the architects are known for, including what is thought to be the original landscaping in the enchanting private rear garden.
This part of the Dulwich Estate was begun with intention to set the buildings in the existing mature landscaping, retaining the large mature trees and creating quiet car-free private roads. Tylney Avenue is a wide street, and this house is set behind a front garden with off-street parking.
Entry is to a hall at ground level with a bedroom on the right and guest bathroom at the end of the hallway. The current owners have extended into the garage, creating a serene bedroom that opens to the garden and a useful storage space accessible from the front of the house.
Original hardwood flooring leads up to the kitchen and dining room which are wonderfully bright, as the house is oriented east-west to make the best of the light throughout the day. The current owners have modernised the kitchen with lino floors and oak tops and opening it to the dining room, while keeping the mid-century spirit of the house.
Upstairs, are three bedrooms and a family bathrooms that all look to the treetops. Flooring on the upper levels is slim stripped floorboards and the landing has been fitted with full height cabinetry to create a library.
An area well-known for its exceptional Modern architecture, the Dulwich Estate occupies approximately 1,500 acres, with numerous private roads that are managed by the Estate. The mix of houses and exceptional landscaping make for an appealing and unique place to live.
Tylney Avenue sits near Dulwich and Sydenham Woods, which are wildlife nature reserves, and next to Crystal Palace Park. Other local attractions include the Dulwich Picture Gallery, the Horniman Museum and the local town centres of Crystal Palace and Dulwich Village. Crystal Palace, which was included in Lonely Planet’s ‘Greatest little-known neighbourhoods in the world’, is a short walk away, and is a vibrant area with award-winning restaurants and bars as well as having a thriving arts and music scene.
Gipsy Hill and Sydenham Hill stations are less than one mile away, with frequent links to London Victoria and London Bridge. There are also excellent bus connections towards Herne Hill, Brixton and into the centre of London.
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
Tylney Avenue is situated in part of a large area of land in South East London that has been maintained for over 400 years by the Dulwich Estate. In the 1950s the estate ran into difficulty. The area had been badly damaged during the Second World War, and lease lengths were running so short that banks were no longer happy to lend on the houses and selling was becoming more and more difficult. People were leaving the area and renting their houses out.
In 1954, Austin Vernon & Partners were called on to design a scheme that would rejuvenate the Dulwich Estate. Vernon himself had formerly been a pupil at Dulwich College from 1898 -1901 and so knew this area well, whilst his uncle Frederick Austin Vernon (1882-1972) had already been the surveyor and architect to the Dulwich Estate.
By 1957 Vernon’s first scheme of building was completed. The blocks on Farquhar Road were the first to be built and they proved to be such a success that a second scheme began, encompassing the nearby Lymer Road and beyond. Over the next 20 years more than 2,000 new homes were designed by Austin Vernon & Partners, resulting in a remarkable area of 1950s and 60s-era architecture.
The houses and flats were designed to a high standard, with use of large expanses of glass, open rooms and central heating. Also quite remarkable was the landscaping that was planned for the estate. The roads were separated from pedestrian areas and large areas were given over to communal gardens and spinneys. The result was an estate which was and remains beautifully designed, verdant and peaceful.
