Sherlock Homes...investigating architectural styles

[Wine Tastings]

Hey Forum,

I'm trying to find the style name of these particular terrace houses.....(SEE PHOTOS ATTACHED)

Not Edwardian, Victorian, Goldstein.....what are they??

Anyone know? I'm keen to find some original photographs of what they may have looked like before the front porches were enclosed and everyone installed plastic spaceship windows.

Any "Sherlock Homes" types out there?

[Earl Aelfheah]

Are these not just Victorian houses with 'updates'.

[nxjen]

If you were to say what road they?re on it might be possible to search on old maps to see when they were built?

[Saffron]

Very late Edwardian? They may or may not have had the bay separate from the door: http://www.constructionphotography.com/Details.aspx?ID=15010&TypeID=1

[intexasatthe moment]

They look 1920's/30's to me ,tho I'm not sure I could say what leads me to that view!

I know you're looking for a style/name but maybe dating would help ?

http://www.bricksandbrass.co.uk/houseage/house_dating_tool.php

[rendelharris]

Yes I am this sad...but can never resist a Sherlock Holmes challenge...by reverse image searching your first picture I see it's on Brodrick Road, Abbey Wood. That's part of the development known as the Co-op estate, built between 1900 and 1930. Judging by the look of it and the layout and proportions I'd say in the later half of that period, about 1925. For sale with Hunters (you probably know this I'm guessing!) so if you get the house number should be quite easy to find the exact date. Don't think there's really a name for houses of that period, they can hardly be called Georgian, even if the reigning monarch was George. Must get out more...

[skylorikeet]

Nicely done, Rendel and not sad at all! I also found this which says it's part of the Bostall Estate:

http://www.ideal-homes.org.uk/greenwich/assets/galleries/plumstead/bostall-estate

Not all of Brodrick Grove appears to have been built, judging by the plan on the above website, that may help you date the particular house, but I think Rendel is spot on: it's from the second half of the 1920s. I don't know that this style of house has a name, inter-war suburban would be my best guess.

[skylorikeet]

Also this from the local school's website:

One hundred years ago, the Royal Arsenal Co-operative Society Ltd (RACS) started to build the Bostall Estate. The land had originally been two farms - Bostall Farm which they had bought in 1886 to provide vegetables for the Co-op's shops and in 1899, Suffolk Place Farm (for a time the property of the Dukes of Suffolk). The buildings of the former were about where the Nursery School now stands in Dahlia Road. The pioneers of the Co-operative Movement had become concerned that better quality housing was required for the "industrial classes" and so the RACS decided to make use of this land for that purpose. The plan was to build an estate of about 3,500 houses, with prices ranging from ?255 to ?405 for a 99 year lease.

Building actually started in 1900, and the architect planned to build 200 houses a year, employing 300 men at ? d an hour over Trade Union rates. McLeod Road (named like the School, after Alexander McLeod, the first Secretary of the RACS) was to be the finest road on the estate. Many other roads have Co‑operative connections.

Building was halted in 1909, restarted in 1912 but stopped again in 1914, by which time 1052 houses had been completed. It is noticeable that the houses built after WW1 (mostly in the western end of Parish) are in a different style. In 1903, the London County Council bought land from the RACS in Bostall Lane and built a school for 1,000 children (infants on the ground floor, girls on the middle floor, and boys on the top floor).

[redjam]

The EDF at its best!

I know we're not talking about round here but I always like to fantasise I could go back in time 120 years or so to when this area was first developed. I'd love to see what it was like when all the houses were brand-new, presumably much more homogenous in style as there'd be none of the later additions, no cars on the streets etc. Would all the front gates and paths have looked the same as each other? Would those Edwardians be moaning about litter and dog poo on the pavements as now or would horse poo on the roads be the issue du jour? Would the gardens be used for growing veg or flowers? What would the streets look like without all the modern-day signs and road markings? Wouldn't it be fascinating...

[intexasatthe moment]

I spend a lot of time imagining the streets years ago .

Looking at old census returns is fascinating as they give details of occupants and their employment .

At the beginning of the census entry they sometimes describe the route taken ,I found a lovely one in the Bellenden /Choumert Rd area which referred to crossing a ditch on the edge of a field .

And I've never forgotten ( tho not sure I can correctly convey it here ) a remark made by a lovely Suffolk born boyfriend on visiting this area back in the 70's which was along the lines of "think of all the fields under these streets ".