Event report by Paul Smith

The latest Art Deco Society IRL event took place on the 12th August 2023 in the form of a walking tour entitled ‘From Streamform to Arts and Crafts’ hosted by Marilyn Greene.

Marilyn is a local resident, historian, seasoned walking tour guide, and has written articles about the ‘Suburb’, so there was no-one better to be our guide.

Seventeen Society members met at East Finchley Underground Station as the starting point of our walk.

Opened in 1939, East Finchley Station is a mix of German Industrial design, and Moderne Streamline architecture. It is unique in having a statue of a kneeling figure of an archer poised to shoot an arrow to the city.

We left the station by the South Exit, and walked  to a small green surrounded by timber framed houses built before the Second  World War. Bearing in mind how close we were to the Underground tracks, the busy High Road and the A1, it was a really tranquil and peaceful place.

Marilyn explained that Hampstead Garden Suburb was founded by Henrietta Barnett, who  had in 1906 had set up the Hampstead Garden Suburb Trust, which purchased/leased 243 acres of land from Eton College and appointed Raymond Unwin and Barry Parker as its architects, and Edwin Lutyens as consultant. A plan was prepared by architect and urban planner Barry Parker along with Unwin, following their experience with the development of Letchworth Garden City, the first development of its kind.

Some of  the aims of the development were –

• To cater for all classes of people and income groups.
• That roads should be wide and tree lined.
• Houses should be separated by hedges, not walls.
• It should be quiet with no church bells.

The area we were standing in was certainly all of the above!

Of course the history and development of the area had to be explained,  so that we could understand how the area was developed during the 1920’s and 30’s. This would take us through roads with Arts & Crafts style housing, and as one road led to another, the development and architectural styles changed.

Many of the street names commemorate early trustees of the Suburb, and those involved in the Co-Partnership and Christian Socialist movements.

Our walk would take us through some roads with different styles of architecture. Art Deco, Moderne, Streamlined homes in abundance. Every style is evident, a breathtaking selection of  flat roofed, pitched roofed, original Crittall windows at every glance, some with secondary double glazing, most in original condition, some even with UPVC replacements. White render, red brick, curves, corner windows, fancy doorways and garage doors it was all there. Some had waves moulded into the lintels, some detailed patterns on their porches. Some even had a pattern detail on their windows., and every perfect house had an equally perfect garden.

We walked down to the A1. There we found Belvedere Court, a residential block of fifty-six flats built in 1937-38. It is a fine example of moderne design, with streamline pavilion windows, and incorporated many luxurious features for the time, such as fitted kitchens and central heating.

A stop was made to look at and discuss the housing named after the Christian Socialists, then we headed back towards the A1.

 There were many houses with render and brickwork in the design. We  learned that the rendered upper part of a building in the Suburb was known as a ‘Blouse’. The lower brick section is known as a ‘Skirt.’  When built, those ‘blouse and skirt’ rendered houses were usually a brown or beige colour, after the war many were painted white.

To finish our tour we looked at hedge lined alleyways with brick arches designed by George Lister Sutcliffe (after Lutyens style), known as Twitterns. Of course we had to walk down one, just to say that we had.

This was a very interesting and informative tour, Marilyn Greene was well informed and very knowledgeable about her subject. On behalf of the society, thank you! She regularly runs walking tours in various parts of London, find our more about upcoming events here.