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

• Wikidata Q26585650

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