Although this photo bears a caption on the rear which informs us that it shows a "Heavy duty tracklayer - fitted with special bale for lifting and placing sleepers", I'm not much interested in the main subject, but I was intrigued to see an image of Chettle Court under construction.
Best viewed full-szie when you can better see the building as well as the rather grim looking workers on the railway vehicle.
Tags **(NO CAPS - Use " " for multiple word tags)**: chettle court, hog's back, site of chettle court
Hi Hugh, I was having a chat about the architecture of Chettle Court - because the internal communal areas include corridors open the air and with ornamented sides, and lifts with ornamented panels, and both of these features are most unusual on council estates.
I wondered if you know naything about the building's architecture. From this image and another one here, we can date construction to 1968-69.
Cheers
Hi Paul,
I'm afraid I don't have much. When I visited to building a few years ago I bumped in to a woman who'd lived there since it was first built. I think there may also be a residents association.
You might well find the plans kept by the Borough of Haringey Building Control, email: building.control@haringey.gov.uk. Phone No: 0208 489 5504. They charge for using this service.
You should also try Bruce Castle Museum. I can't see anything in the Hornsey Historical Society's archives.
I also have a note of an article in the Journal of Planning and Environment Law, Page 599. It should be available at the British Library, but I don't know how useful it will be.
I've added more tags under the image above to link other pictures. Tags for forum posts are (frustratingly) separate to pictures. You can see relevant forum posts here.
I've lived in Chettle Court since 1978/9 (and I love it). Its existence / how it came about has always been unclear/mysterious.
Have come to think that it was built for private dwellings (I think Chettle was the name of a headmaster of the Stationers Boys Grammar School) but that it was not entirely successful and that Haringey Council took over ownership. But I would love to know exactly how it came to be.
We had a strong RA in the 1980s but not any more - which is a frustration.
On the ground floor there is a marvellous community room, and a kitchen area, and small offices. This great space can never be used for - say public ventures/classes etc. because the estate is a closed one ( I am glad it is because I feel safer). I wish there was a way around this problem; I feel it is almost immoral to have such wonderful community space being wasted.
Your photography project may be of interest to some, Vaughan.
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