Hillfield Court, NW3

Block in/near Belsize Park, existing between 1934 and now.

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(51.55037 -0.16674, 51.55 -0.166) 
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JUNE
14
2017
Hillfield Court is a prominent art deco residential mansion block in Belsize Park, in the London Borough of Camden, built in 1934.

It is one of the many purpose built mansion blocks on Haverstock Hill between Chalk Farm and Hampstead. It is close to the amenities near Belsize Park tube station, as well as the shops of Belsize Village, South End Green and Hampstead.

Hillfield Court sits on what was once a large country estate known as the Belsize Estate. The first recorded building on the site of what today is Hillfield Court was built in around 1646. It was known as the Blue House and was one of many rural abodes in the area belonging to wealthy merchants, who wanted a country residence within easy reach of London. The Blue House was accessed directly from Haverstock Hill. Little is known about the residents of the Blue House but evidence suggests that in 1650 it was occupied by one John Mascall and in 1679 by Thomas Butler. Between 1761 and 1773, the house was rebuilt and extended by merchant William Horsley.

In 1808, the Belsize Estate was split into 9 leasehold estates. The Hillfield leasehold, as well as the adjoining Belsize House leasehold (around 19 acres in total) were bought by James Abel.

In 1841 Basil Woodd, a Bond Street brandy merchant bought the lease from Abel, a 19-acre estate set within the boundaries of Belsize Avenue, Belsize Park Gardens and Belsize Grove. By this time, the area to the west of Haverstock Hill was dotted with many country abodes. The former Blue House had by this stage been renovated, modernised and renamed Heathfield House, a stuccoed 6-bedroom house with a library. Woodd acquired the freehold of the land in 1857 and renamed the house Hillfield. Sometime between 1864 and 1867 he built another house on the south end of the estate for his son Robert Ballard Woodd - This house was called Woodlands. Whilst Woodlands was demolished in 1901 to make way for higher density housing, Hillfield remained until 1928 when it was demolished.The land was bought by Hillfield Estates Ltd, a company formed in 1933 by FL, WJ and AG Griggs (Frank, William and Alfred).

The activities of Griggs & Son Ltd of Victoria St, London included land development in Pinner, building theatres for the Astoria group in London and in Brighton (1933) and building at least two other theatres in the West End. Griggs & Son developed the Hillfield site to cater for the high demand for mansion blocks. The destruction of the old house and the development of the estate was met with some local opposition, however.

Hillfield Court, so named in commemoration of the grand house, was just one part of the development. The scheme also included two other mansion blocks - Tudor Close (1935) to the back of the estate; and on Haverstock Hill, a parade of shops with Hillfield Mansions above (1934), which remained in the ownership of Hillfield Estates Ltd for many years. The parade incorporated an Odeon cinema, one of the first in London, which opened in September 1934. The flagship of the Odeon chain for several years, it was demolished in the 1970s. It was replaced by the highly regarded Screen on the Hill cinema (since changed hands & renamed the Everyman Belsize Park).

The architect for the flats (and the cinema) was Tp bennett; he also designed the block of flats on nearby Finchley Road, above what is now a Waitrose store. The practice he founded continues today. His design for Hillfield Court provided 113 flats over six storeys, in seven different layouts and intended to suit a variety of tenants. Bennett had given much thought to the planning of apartment buildings for London. At Hillfield Court, he adopted the ’dining-hall’ in some layouts, for more efficient use of the available space. There were hand-operated hoists from the ground floor so groceries, etc. could be delivered direct to every kitchen. A boiler room provides hot water to all flats and heating to common parts. Originally there was a central store for tenants’ own coal, carried up by porters to be burned on the open fires. From its inception Hillfield Court was considered a very prestigious block, not least because of its magnificent, spacious gardens.

During the Second World War a barrage balloon was anchored on the Hillfield Court lawn. Royal Air Force personnel were housed in a ground floor flat ready to launch the balloon when necessary. These large, airborne barriers protected important installations against low-level air attack. A brick bunkhouse built for the crew remains, now used as the garden shed.

The flats were rented out on short leases until in 1969, inflation saw tenants for the first time being given the opportunity to purchase their flats on a 99-year lease. For a while the family firm continued to manage the block directly but in the mid-1970s, the building was placed in the hands of managing agents. By that stage the principal shareholder was FE (Francis) Griggs and when he died in 1977, control of the freehold passed to Mrs JL Griggs. Eventually, according to various residents, there came the shattering news that Hillfield Court had been sold - unfortunately, to "unscrupulous experts at asset stripping". The twenty one flats that were still rented out were then sold on long leases to a property company. There was talk of building townhouses with garages and an access road on the much-loved gardens.

Fighting back vigorously, the Residents Association organised speeches, TV interviews and meetings with Camden Council in the hope of saving their garden. Eventually they prevailed – a preservation order was placed on every tree. Camden Council effectively refused permission to build and the residents were elated.

By 1985 residents had ensured that the landlord’s potential for making money was small. A group of leaseholders established Hillfield Court Limited to buy the freehold, an agreement was reached, 84 residents subscribed and they became the new owners.


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CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE LOCALITY


James Preston   
Added: 28 Apr 2021 09:06 GMT   

School
Was this the location of Rosslyn House prep school? I have a photograph of the Rosslyn House cricket team dated 1910 which features my grandfather (Alan Westbury Preston). He would have been 12 years old at the time. All the boys on the photo have been named. If this is the location of the school then it appears that the date of demolition is incorrect.

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LATEST LONDON-WIDE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE PROJECT

Comment
Wendy    
Added: 22 Mar 2024 15:33 GMT   

Polygon Buildings
Following the demolition of the Polygon, and prior to the construction of Oakshott Court in 1974, 4 tenement type blocks of flats were built on the site at Clarendon Sq/Phoenix Rd called Polygon Buildings. These were primarily for people working for the Midland Railway and subsequently British Rail. My family lived for 5 years in Block C in the 1950s. It seems that very few photos exist of these buildings.

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Steve   
Added: 19 Mar 2024 08:42 GMT   

Road construction and houses completed
New Charleville Circus road layout shown on Stanford’s Library Map Of London And Its Suburbs 1879 with access via West Hill only.

Plans showing street numbering were recorded in 1888 so we can concluded the houses in Charleville Circus were built by this date.

Source: Charleville Circus, Sydenham, London

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Comment
Steve   
Added: 19 Mar 2024 08:04 GMT   

Charleville Circus, Sydenham: One Place Study (OPS)
One Place Study’s (OPS) are a recent innovation to research and record historical facts/events/people focused on a single place �’ building, street, town etc.

I have created an open access OPS of Charleville Circus on WikiTree that has over a million members across the globe working on a single family tree for everyone to enjoy, for free, forever.

Source: Charleville Circus, Sydenham, London

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Comment
Charles   
Added: 8 Mar 2024 20:45 GMT   

My House
I want to know who lived in my house in the 1860’s.

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NH   
Added: 7 Mar 2024 11:41 GMT   

Telephone House
Donald Hunter House, formerly Telephone House, was the BT Offices closed in 2000

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Comment
Paul Cox   
Added: 5 Mar 2024 22:18 GMT   

War damage reinstatement plans of No’s 11 & 13 Aldine Street
Whilst clearing my elderly Mothers house of general detritus, I’ve come across original plans (one on acetate) of No’s 11 & 13 Aldine Street. Might they be of interest or should I just dispose of them? There are 4 copies seemingly from the one single acetate example. Seems a shame to just junk them as the level of detail is exquisite. No worries if of no interest, but thought I’d put it out there.

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Comment
Diana   
Added: 28 Feb 2024 13:52 GMT   

New Inn Yard, E1
My great grandparents x 6 lived in New Inn Yard. On this date, their son was baptised in nearby St Leonard’s Church, Shoreditch

Source: BDM London, Cripplegate and Shoreditch registers written by church clerk.

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Comment
Vic Stanley   
Added: 24 Feb 2024 17:38 GMT   

Postcose
The postcode is SE15, NOT SE1

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LOCAL PHOTOS
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Swiss Cottage
TUM image id: 1455364693
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South End Green
TUM image id: 1450539049
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Royal Free Hospital
TUM image id: 1469364080
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Soldier’s Daughters Home from the "Illustrated London News", June 19, 1858 The Royal School, Hampstead was founded in 1855 as the Soldiers’ Infant Home before becoming the Royal Soldiers’ Daughters’ School on this site in 1867. It was established "to nurse, board, clothe and educate the female children, orphans or not, of soldiers in Her Majesty’s Army killed in the Crimean War". The Daughter’s School, as described in 1902: "At the back a large extent of grass playground stretched out westward, and at the end of this there was a grove of trees. On one side of the grass is a large playroom built in 1880 by means of an opportune legacy, and on the other a covered cloister which led to the school, standing detached from the house at the other end of the playground. An old pier burdened with a mass of ivy stood up in the centre, the only remnant of this part of old Vane House. A portion of the ground was profitably sold for the frontage to Fitz John’s Avenue." The school site is now used as a senior campus of North Bridge House School.
Credit: The Illustrated London News
TUM image id: 1458756121
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In the neighbourhood...

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West Country class loco 34010 ’Sidmouth’ has strayed onto the London Midland region on a special to Wembley Stadium and has been sent onto the Hampstead Junction line to turn. It is seen here at Hampstead Heath station on 15 May 1956.
Credit: Neil Clifton
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South End Green
Licence: CC BY 2.0


Royal Free Hospital
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The Isokon building
Credit: Wiki Commons
Licence: CC BY 2.0


St. Mary’s Town & Country School logo as a woven badge
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Agincourt Road (2007) An Archway-bound C11 stops to collect a passenger. View taken from the junction with Cressy Road
Credit: Geograph/Martin Addison
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Belsize Avenue in Belsize Park
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Houses in Eton Avenue (2011)
Credit: Geograph/Mike Quinn
Licence: CC BY 2.0


South Hill Park from Hampstead Ponds
Credit: Julian Osley/Geograph
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Wedderburn Road, NW3
Licence: CC BY 2.0




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