Architecture Walk - North Hill, Highgate

Britain’s most varied street?

Residents in North Hill, Highgate have long been intrigued at the variety of domestic architecture on their street. It would seem that almost every style of British architecture is represented.

North Hill contains a mix of flats, houses and dwellings that are in private, social and charitable ownership. - including internationally-renowned architect Bertold Lubetkin's Highpoint I and II apartment buildings (now Grade 1 listed) with their distinctive classical caryatids. The buildings were designed for the Gestetner family in the 1930s, and are celebrated as the best examples of early International style architecture in London.

Such is the variety of architecture here in North Hill that residents issued a challenge to any other street in London - or indeed in the whole of Britain - that can compare with it.

It is believed that twelve different monarchs were on the English throne over the period of time when its dwellings were built. Can any other street exceed that number?

To attract more visitors to Highgate, and to help with the regeneration of its economy, residents submitted a bid under Haringey Council’s “Making The Difference” programme, to promote North Hill as a destination for visitors interested in Britain’s architecture. The project involved the creation of a fold-out guide and an interpretation board.

The guide has photographs of 35 of North Hill’s dwellings, sorted in the order in which they were built. Visitors can use the guide to see how styles have evolved over the past 450 years since the first were built. The reverse highlights the most interesting features of each building. This side of the guide is great for when you walk the street as it is organised in walk order.

The project also included the design and installation of an interpretation board which is located outside "The Bull" pub on North Hill.

Page last updated:

April 8, 2021

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