This two-bedroom apartment, located just ten miles from central London in Ham, forms part of the Grade II listed Parkleys development, built by Span in the mid 1950s. The beautiful and tranquil setting, together with the quality of light, space and period detailing, make these some of the capital’s finest apartments.
Accommodation at the first floor property includes two bedrooms, a bathroom, living / dining room and kitchen. There is also a store room allocated to the apartment as well as two further storage areas which are shared with other residents, one of which is suitable for bicycles. The current owners have carried out a recent refurbishment with an exacting eye for detail and sensitivity towards the original features.
Span are perhaps the most celebrated of all 20th century residential developers and many of the developments that they worked on throughout the south of England are now listed. They are celebrated for their outstanding, yet simple, Modern architectural style and considered landscaping. To see how English Heritage have described Parkleys (the first of the Span developments and one of the best preserved) see the History section.
Ham is a picturesque district in south west London located between Richmond upon Thames and Kingston upon Thames. It centres on a large, open common and is renowned for the quality of its period architecture (the outstanding example of which is Ham House, described by its owners the National Trust as “the most complete survival of 17th century fashion and power”). There is a parade of shops in Ham with wider shopping and dining opportunities available at Richmond and Kingston (both easily accessible by road or bus). Richmond and Kingston also offer fast train services into central London.
Tenure: Leasehold (plus Share of Freehold)
Lease: Approx. 967 years remaining
Service charge: Approx. £600 per quarter
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 exception to the dullness of most speculative developments in the 1950s was the work of Geoffrey Townsend, an architect turned developer, and Eric Lyons – close collaborators with remarkable tenacity when dealing with planning officers and whose attend to detail makes their simple design idiom special.
In 1954 Townsend formed Span Developments Ltd… Parkleys ws their first and most famous scheme, in which the key features of their successful packages were established…. the taller blocks have full-height glazed staircases and lattice detailing.
Parkleys is on the site of a nursery, and mature trees were retained, as were the gardeners. Lyons’ low mushroom lights were also repeated subsequently.”
Elain Harwood, Historian at English Heritage
