| Heathcroft (Hampstead Garden Suburb) | Barnet |
Heathcroft is an estate of Neo-Georgian flats built in 1923-4 for Second Hampstead Tenants Ltd, to designs of J B F Cowper following an architectural competition. His design, influenced by the Arts and Crafts Movement, consists of linked blocks of 3 and 4 storeys laid out in an inverted 'T' arrangement with a 1-storey caretaker's cottage at the front. The development was informed by the ethos of Hampstead Garden Suburb and communal facilities were an important part of the estate, which includes various areas of communal gardens and recreational facilities.
The information shown above was correct at the time of the last update 01/06/2008
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www.heathcroft.org
The information below is taken from the relevant Local Authority's planning legislation, which was correct at the time of research but may have been amended in the interim. Please check with the Local Authority for latest planning information.
Heathcroft was built as part of Hampstead Garden Suburb, which was founded by Dame Henrietta Barnett in 1907. The Hampstead Garden Suburb Trust (HGS Trust) retains powers over freeholders in the Garden Suburb under a scheme of management passed by the High Court in 1974, giving the Trust powers similar to those of a superior landlord. These include the control of all aspects of the appearance of the exterior of the building including trees and the gardens, planning permission, etc. Residents of Heathcroft pay an annual fee to HGS Trust though their service charge.
HGS Trust also supports an independent Residents Association (www.hgs.org.uk/ra), a voluntary organisation open to all residents, with an elected Council and appropriate standing committees. The Association is a watchdog for the welfare of the Suburb and acts as a strong pressure group.
The south part of Hampstead Way and the area adjacent to Hampstead Heath Extension (q.v.) was largely developed between 1908 - 1914 and post WWI, with Neo-Georgian style red brick predominating. Heathcroft was built in the spirit of Hampstead Garden Suburb, which sought to show 'how thousands of people, of all classes of society, of all sorts of opinions, and all standards of income, can live in helpful neighbourliness'. Communal facilities were provided for the residents of Heathcroft including a ball-room and dining hall, central kitchens, communal hot water, tennis and badminton courts, a bowling green, shared storage rooms and other amenities. In 1978 Heathcroft Residents Association was established whose main objective was to present a united front to the landlord of the estate, the Freshwater Group. In March 2007 the residents acquired the freehold of the estate, which is now owned and managed by Heathcroft 2002 Ltd and this has enabled the sense of shared community intended by the original designers to be restored.
Bridget Cherry & Nikolaus Pevsner, The Buildings of England: London 4: North (Penguin, 1998); The Builder, 9 March 1923, 1 May 1964