Taymount Grange V
Taymount Rise, London SE23
Architect: G. Bertram Carter
Register for similar homes“A little-known modernist gem, replete with original deco features”
Designed by George Bertram Carter and built between 1935 and 1936, Taymount Grange is a wonderfully preserved modernist estate positioned within the leafy Forest Hill. This recently renovated top-floor two-bedroom apartment occupies a highly-sought after corner position with wide sweeping views of the area. The estate sits within extensive communal gardens, which contain allotments and wide lawns.
The Building
Taymount Grange is instantly recognizable by its white-painted stucco punctuated by the striking mint-coloured Crittall windows. Its communal areas are in very good condition and still retain many of their original deco features. 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 building also has a caretaker and plenty of bike storage. For more information, please see the History section below.
The Tour
The front door sits next to the galley kitchen, set back from the bright south-facing living space. Original Crittall windows frame far-reaching views from the building’s elevated position; secondary glazing has been installed in the living room and bedrooms. Floorboards installed during the building’s construction have been carefully retained, stripped back and lime-washed and flow throughout the apartment.
The kitchen has been recently refurbished with dark green cabinetry and plywood-edged work surfaces. The cork flooring in this room sympathetically harks back to the building’s modernist origins. A large window overlooks the communal gardens, illuminating the space.
From the living area, a long hallway, still with its original cabinetry and door furniture leads to two spacious bedrooms and a light-filled bathroom. Both bedrooms have plenty of built-in storage and are decorated in a neutral palette. The main bedroom is dual-aspect, with uninterrupted views across the treetops.
Predominantly executed in off-white oblong tiles, the bathroom has been completely reconfigured to maximise space. Brass fixtures add a dash of warmth to the overall palette, as does the vintage cabinet, which houses a large ceramic sink. There is underfloor heating, as well as a heated mirror.
Outdoor Space
All residents of Taymount Grange enjoy the use of communal gardens to the front and rear of the building. These tranquil gardens include a shared barbeque 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. 142 years remaining
Service Charge: approx. £3,000 per annum
Ground Rent: approx. Peppercorn
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
George Bertram Carter trained at the Royal College of Arts and was a pupil of Sir Edwin Lutyens from 1919 to 1922. He became a member of the MARS group, of which he was appointed Honorary Treasurer in 1944. Another of his residential blocks, Litchfield Court in Richmond (1935), was listed at Grade II in 2004.
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.
