Taymount Grange IV
Taymount Rise, London SE23
Architect: G. Bertram Carter
Register for similar homesInspire me“Occupying an enviable corner position within a historic art deco block at the heart of Forest Hill”
Designed by George Bertram Carter and built between 1935 and 1936, Taymount Grange is a little-known modernist gem. This recently renovated top floor two-bedroom apartment has a prime corner position within the building and sweeping southerly views. The block is set in extensive communal gardens which contain allotments and wide lawns. For more information on the building and architect, please see the History section below.
The Tour
There is lift access to all floors from the entrance lobby; all communal areas of the building are in very good condition. The building has a caretaker and bike storage. Smart lifts and richly carpeted stairwells hint at the glamour of the building’s early life, when a restaurant and lounge occupied the lower floors.
The apartment has an intercom system for access. The entrance is opposite the kitchen and offset from the bright south-facing living space. Original metal-framed windows offer far-reaching views from the building’s elevated position; secondary glazing has been installed throughout. Engineered oak floorboards run underfoot in the main living spaces and wrought-iron radiators have been installed. Built-in cabinetry lines the rear wall, providing an abundance of storage that continues through the hallway beyond.
The kitchen has been recently refurbished and is characterised by a thoughtful mix of materials; there is a tiled floor and splashback, and a Vola tap set against wooden worktops and shelving. A large window overlooks the communal garden and illuminates the space.
There are two spacious double bedrooms, both of which have plenty of built-in storage and are decorated in a neutral palette. The main bedroom is currently configured as a workspace; occupying a coveted corner position with views to the south and east, it receives differing shades of light over the course of the day. The second double bedroom is a bright room adjacent to the bathroom.
A generous window in the bathroom allows light to pour in across the white tiled surfaces and wooden accents that mirror the palette elsewhere. There is an angled bathtub that makes excellent use of space; storage is neatly concealed behind mirrors that span the length of the room.
Outdoor Space
All residents of Taymount Grange enjoy the use of communal gardens to the front and rear of the building. The gardens include a shared BBQ area and established allotments with a variety of fruit trees.
The Area
Taymount Grange is located close to the Horniman Museum and Gardens. It is well placed for the shops and restaurants of Dulwich Village and East Dulwich, as well as the open spaces of Sydenham Woods and Dulwich Park. Local highlights include Bona, Pantry, and Aga’s Little Deli.
All of the amenities of Forest Hill, including the railway station, are approximately five minutes away on foot. Regular trains run from Forest Hill to London Bridge, with a journey time of 12 minutes. The station is also now part of the London Overground, with trains to Dalston via Canada Water (Jubilee Line), Shadwell (DLR), Shoreditch High Street and Whitechapel (District and Hammersmith & City Lines).
Tenure: Leasehold
Lease Length: approx. 107 years remaining
Service Charge: approx. £3,000 per annum
Ground Rent: approx. £100 per annum
Council Tax Band: B
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
Taymount Grange was built in 1935 to designs by English architect George Bertram Carter. Carter had studied at Blackheath School of Art between 1911 and 1915 before joining the Royal School of Art. He worked at Edwin Lutyens’ office as a student before setting up his own practice in Clifford’s Inn in 1929. Prior to Taymount Grange, Carter was responsible for two large factory designs in Tottenham and Whitechapel respectively. Carter designed both Taymount Grange and Lichfield Court (now Grade II-listed) in Richmond in 1935.
Taymount Grange sits at the top of Taymount Rise in Forest Hill, on the previous sites of Taymount, a 19th-century house, and Queens Tennis Club. It embodies the ‘style moderne’ aesthetic that stemmed from the art deco movement during the 1930s. Unlike art deco, style moderne – also known as ‘streamline moderne’ or ‘ocean liner style’ – prioritised clean shapes, long horizontal forms, and a lack of ornamentation.
In his thesis The Servant Problem Solved: Modernist 1930s Residential Blocks, Damian Minto describes the history of Taymount Grange:
“[It] is built on the site of the original Queens tennis club. An important similarity with many modernist schemes was the fact that the existing earlier building (often a detached villa) was to be demolished to make way for the new block of flats. The site’s natural contours made it an ideal location for panoramic views of the London docks and rural edges of suburbia, a feature of which the flats take full advantage. The aimed new tenants were the middle classes – an important similarity with all modernist British residential schemes.
“Facilities available for residents included guestrooms, lounge, restaurant, terrace, landscaped gardens, swimming pool, seven tennis courts and a putting green. Taymount Grange was also fully staffed with everyone from porters to domestic help.”
From the expanses of white-painted stucco to the handsome metal windows and chrome-handled entrance doors, Taymount Grange has retained the unmistakably Thirties details that give it a romantic Modernist appeal.
