Manygate Lane I
Shepperton, TW17

SOLD

Architect: E. Schoolheifer

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Designed by the Swiss architect Edward Schoolheifer for the Lyon Group
in 1964, this three-bedroom house is a beautiful example of architecture
of the era. The house has a spacious and light open-plan living area downstairs,
arranged around a central ‘pod’ that accommodates a kitchen, cloakroom
and staircase. Upstairs, the house benefits from three bedrooms and a bathroom. There is both a front and rear garden. A garage, located close by,
also comes with the house (there is also further off-street parking for all residents and guests on the estate). The total internal area is approximately 130
sq m / 1,400 sq ft.

The house has been sympathetically
maintained, with much of the original interior still intact (including
wonderful pine panelling, extensive glazing and
aluminium window frames). Much updating has also been done, however,
such as a new kitchen and bathroom as well as a new boiler. Such is the condition of the house and its advantageous position, it could be considered one of the most outstanding properties on the Manygate Lane estate.

The house sits in an advantageous position on the small Manygate Lane Estate – in the middle of a row of similar houses arranged around a landscaped communal
square away from the road. The estate has
recently been designated a Conservation Area.

Manygate Lane is located
five minutes’ walk from Shepperton train station, which runs direct
services to London Waterloo. Walton-on-Thames station is also a short
drive away. The house has very good access to the M3 / M25. Schools in the area are well regarded with St Nicholas and Thames Meade schools (for which this property is in the catchment area) being of particular note.

Please note
that all houses on the Manygate Lane Estate are subject to a service
charge of approximately £400 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 houses on Manygate Lane were built in 1964 by the Lyons Group and
designed by the Swiss architect Edward Schoolheifer. They are neatly
arranged around two landscaped quadrangles. Built to a high
specification, these two-storey, three-bedroom houses were originally
sold in the mid-1960s for £7,695 each – a very high figure at the time
considering that the average price for a three-bedroom house in London
was then only £3,500.

The
radical design of the houses, especially the open-plan ground-floor
space, drew much attention when they were first built, and continues to
do so. An extensive article on Manygate Lane written by Sarah Wise for The Guardian
in 1999 describes the project as “a rare British experiment in
modernist private-sector housing”.

In recognition of its unique and outstanding design, Manygate Lane
was designated a Conservation Area in 2002. The listing information
notes that the estate “combines a stark simplicity of design and use of
modern materials in buildings that are set around traffic-free shared
open spaces with extensive landscaping”. With reference to the houses
themselves, it is pointed out that “the rear and front gardens are
visible through the open-plan living room when viewed from the
quadrangle green… The contemporary modernist concept of blurring the
division between inside and outside is will illustrated in these
properties.” Further information on the Conservation Area (in pdf format) can be found by clicking here.

Being
close to the renowned Shepperton film studios, the estate has had many
well-known residents, including Tom Jones (pictured right on the road
at the front of the houses), Marlon Brando,
Rod Steiger and Julie Christie.


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