Punch Croft IV
New Ash Green, Kent

SOLD

Architect: Eric Lyons

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“A Type 'K' Span house, compact yet light and spacious, surrounded by beautiful communal grounds”

This bright, four-bedroom, end-of-terrace ‘Span’ house, with a private garden, is situated on the Punch Croft Estate in the renowned village of New Ash Green, Kent. Built to a design by Eric Lyons in 1968, it is a great example of a type ‘K’ house, with almost 1,250 sq ft of internal space. As is typical with Span developments, large windows flood the house with light while granting views over the carefully considered communal spaces of the estate.

The Architect

Approximately 50% of the housing stock in the village was built by Span, a company that is widely considered to be the finest developer of the post-war period. Span, who employed the architect Eric Lyons for the majority of their projects, had a strong belief in excellence and quality in their housing design and, just as importantly, in the landscaping and environment in which the houses were placed. For more information, see the History section below.

The Tour

Entered through a porch, the original part of the house is composed of a large open-plan kitchen and dining room, which is connected to a generous sitting room through an original sliding door. Much of this space has a wonderful reclaimed oak-parquet running underfoot.

The extension houses a second living space that has a charming cork floor and is lit through expanses of glazing on two sides. It has direct access to the private garden via floor-to-ceiling sliding doors. There is also a coat and utility cupboard and guest WC on this level.

On the upper level, there are four bedrooms, one of which is currently used as a study, and a good-sized family bathroom. Exposed brick walls and timber-clad ceilings in two of the rooms lend a sense of character and texture to the spaces. The second-largest of the bedrooms is located above the extension and has a sun-yellow floor and a fantastically high vaulted ceiling with exposed truss beams. Another of the bedrooms has a pull-out bed, which is discreetly hidden behind a curtain.

Outdoor Space

Punch Croft is in a particularly quiet and verdant position, a stone’s throw from many good walks and bicycle rides through the Kent countryside. This particular house not only has a private – and beautifully planted – garden with a pergola, but also looks onto a communal garden to the front and opens onto another larger, shared green space to the rear. Minutes away is The Pavilion, a sports club with tennis courts.

The Area

New Ash Green is a remarkable village in the Kent countryside that was almost entirely built in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It is a large village with a range of shops and services (a small supermarket, a library and a doctor’s surgery), and extensive green spaces including a beautiful village green, communal orchards, fields and woodland. There are a number of nearby grammar schools (Dartford, Gravesend, Wilmington) as well as numerous private schools. New Ash Green itself has a well-regarded primary school. There are also good pubs and eateries nearby, including gastropub The Royal Oak. Beyond New Ash Green, further shops and services can be found at Bluewater Shopping Centre (approximately five miles) and Sevenoaks (approximately 10 miles).

New Ash Green is well located for train services into London and for access to the motorway network. Longfield (approximately two miles) is the closest station and runs services to London Victoria in 30 minutes. Ebbsfleet (approximately six miles) runs services to St. Pancras in 18 minutes.

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

The development company Span built 30 housing estates across the UK between 1948 and 1984. In his book The Spirit of Span Housing, James Strike says: “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 2006, Span housing was the subject of an exhibition at the RIBA, and the accompanying book, entitled Eric Lyons & Span (ed. Barbara Simms), gives a comprehensive survey of its history. “The work of the architect Eric Lyons,” it states, “is as well-loved now as it was vibrantly successful when first constructed. Built almost entirely for Span Developments, its mission was to provide an affordable environment ‘that gave people a lift’.”

New Ash Green is perhaps the most ambitious project ever undertaken by Span. The company put up approximately half of the houses in the village and did much of the design of the environment. Cordula Zeidler of the 20th Century Society describes the village as “Span heaven”. She also writes as follows about New Ash Green:

“Architect Eric Lyons and Span Developments Ltd… got planning permission to build houses for 5-6,000 people, arranged in neighbourhoods and bound together by landscaping. The centre of this new town was built in the same spirit; a picturesquely arranged group of shops, featuring the typical Span materials and shapes, and served by an organically bent pedestrian street.”

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