Description

ISLINGTON

TQ3084NE CALEDONIAN ROAD
635-1/44/126 (East side)
Nos.408-416
Wallace House, Caledonian Estate

GV II

Block of flats forming part of the Caledonian Estate, designed
and built c.1904-6 by the Housing of the Working Classes
Branch of the London County Council Architect's Department,
the architect responsible being, probably, J.G.Stephenson. The
Caledonian Estate consists of five blocks: Carrick House to
the west, overlooking Caledonian Road, and then four blocks at
the back of the site, forming a square, Irvine House to the
west and Wallace House to the east being longer than Burns
House to the north and Scott House to the south; apart from
the entrance arch in Irvine House, the opposite blocks in the
square match each other; and they are linked by brick arcades
of three round arches.
Wallace House is of red brick in English and Flemish bond with
dressings of glazed brick and plaster, wrought iron, cast iron
and reinforced concrete, roof of tiles. Five storeys. All
windows are segmental-arched sash windows, except where
stated, and all have late C20 glazing which echoes the
arrangement of the original sashes and casements. The front
facing into the square is symmetrical, and made up of seven
elements: there are three 'balcony' ranges which have a
buttressed screen to the ground floor with segmental-arched
entrances to ground-floor flats and staircase, the parapet of
the screen acting as a balustrade to the first-floor flats;
the flats on the first to fourth floors are set back with
flat-arched windows and entrances under segmental arches, and
one of the three entrances on each balcony now blocked; access
is by way of a cantilevered, reinforced concrete balcony with
cast-iron railings, iron pipes running up between floors and
terminating at the fourth floor in decorative brackets; there
are also wrought-iron former lampholders at this level. The
central range is of this type; either side of it are ranges of
two windows, those to the fourth floor flat-arched casements,
the gable in the form of a double curve flanked by parapeted
'shoulders'. Then come the two other 'balcony' ranges, and
then the end ranges which are of two windows, those to the
first, second and third floors flat-arched and set back under
a round arch at third-floor level, with herringbone brickwork
in the tympanum, those to the fourth floor being flat-arched
casements with a plastered panel between; hipped roof betweeen
parapeted 'shoulders'; ridge stacks.
The east elevation has four five-storey, gabled ranges: two
inner ranges of five windows, with flat-arched casements to
the fourth floor, the central three under round arches and
separated by buttress-like strips, the outer two under dentil
cornices; 'shouldered' gable; the two outer gabled ranges are
of three windows, those to the first, seond and third floors
set under a round arch at third floor level, those to the
fourth floor flat-arched casements under a shaped and
'shouldered' gable. The three intervening ranges are of six
windows under eaves, those to the third floor flat-arched
between plastered pilasters, and those to the fourth floor
flat-arched dormers in a mansard roof.
(Historians' file, English Heritage London Division).

Listing NGR: TQ3069984715

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26585650

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Nottinghamshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)
• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)