Mansfield Road III
London NW3
Architect: Benson & Forsyth
Register for similar homesA very rare opportunity to acquire a two-bedroom maisonette with roof terrace in this groundbreaking ex-Local Authority development close to Hampstead Heath, designed by the renowned architects Benson & Forsyth in the 1970s.
With its split-level cross section and sloping rooflight, this very bright flat is a welcome antidote to some of the more standardised Victorian conversions in the area. The property is entered on the raised ground floor, which contains a modern fitted kitchen with steps up to a reception room with a southerly aspect, and a guest cloakroom. The upper floor contains two bedrooms and a bathroom, and there is a private south-facing roof terrace on top. The flat also has an external storage unit.
The property is situated very close to Gospel Oak station. There are regular bus services to the West End and the City from both Highgate Road and South End Green. The open spaces of Hampstead Heath are less than 200 yards from the flat, and the shops and facilities of South End Green and Belsize Park are within easy reach.
There is a secure storage area for bicycles at the end of the terrace, and an on-site caretaker who maintains the common parts. The freeholder is Camden Council. We are informed that approximately 40% of the Mansfield Road flats are in private ownership, with the remainder occupied by council tenants.
The architects Gordon Benson and Alan Forsyth joined Camden Architects’ Department in 1968, and were an integral part of the golden age of architects (foremost of whom was Neave Brown) who produced Camden’s finest social housing. They have since designed a host of large-scale public buildings, including the Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh and the National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin.
Tenure: Leasehold
Lease: Approx. 109 years remaining
Service charge: Approx. £2072 per year (this includes gas)
Ground rent: £10 per year
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
The Metropolitan Boroughs of St. Pancras, Holborn and Hampstead merged to become Camden in 1965. Under the stewardship of Sydney Cook, the new borough quickly became renowned for its radical housing. Cook appointed a “dream team” of architects working out of Holborn Town Hall, led by Neave Brown. George Benson and Alan Forsyth joined the department in 1968, directly from the Architectural Association, and teamed up with Brown to design the famous Alexandra Road development.
Recognising the talent of these two young architects, Cook gave Benson and Forsyth the Mansfield Road project. The scheme consisted of 73 flats (as well as nine family houses on Lamble Street) constructed between 1974 and 1980. The new buildings replaced a terrace of 19th-century houses, and were built as part of a more widespread renewal of the locality known as the Gospel Oak Redevelopment Area.
The street frontage borrows stylistically from Neave Brown’s houses on Winscombe Street (which were taken as the starting point for much of what the Camden architects built at this time), with similar window patterns and spiral staircases.
The terrace is sunk below street level to match the houses behind. The flats have a split-level cross section, which creates exciting inter-connecting spaces that appear bigger than they are. Natural light is brought in through conservatory-style sloping glazed ceilings, and skylights in the bathrooms.
According to the Twentieth Century Society, “The development was neither cheap nor easy to build, and to obtain a tender list Camden had to approach sixty contractors. It took six years and a tower crane was needed – exceptional for three-storey housing on this scale. But worth it.”
