Haringey’s 60th birthday coincides with another anniversary. On the same day that the 32 London boroughs came into existence, the London County Council (LCC) was abolished. While its administrative reach did not extend as far as Haringey, the LCC left a significant legacy in the borough in the form of the Tower Gardens Estate, designed by William Edward Riley.
The roots of Tower Gardens go back to the late 19th century, when Jewish philanthropist Samuel Montague donated £10,000 to the LCC to buy land in north Tottenham with the intention of building high quality homes to rehouse Jewish workers living in overcrowded conditions in Tower Hamlets.
Construction began in 1904 and this was the LCC’s first major housing development outside central London. It remains one of the best-preserved examples of the authority’s pioneering approach to social housing.
The homes were built in the Arts and Crafts style, celebrating high quality craftmanship and working class values. The design was heavily influenced by the Garden City movement, with large front gardens and cottage-like frontages giving the area a unique charm and character.
Since 1978 the estate has been protected by Conservation Area status. Writing in the Haringey Community Press, local resident Ruth Crowley calls Tower Gardens “one of the foremost social housing designs of its type in the UK and the world.”
Over the years Ruth has been a key figure in celebrating the architectural heritage of the estate, organising annual tours as part of the Open House festival. She was recently invited to speak about the estate’s history at a conference organised by the Royal Historical Society to mark the 60th anniversary of the disbandment of the LCC.
Tower Gardens continues to go from strength to strength, with ambitious plans currently underway to transform the former estate office at 100 Tower Gardens Road into a new hub for the local community. Meanwhile we are investing in the homes that we manage on the estate with a £3 million refurbishment programme to improve energy efficiency, security, and the appearance of 77 homes.
Book your place on an Open House tour of Tower Gardens by following this link.
