Details
ISLINGTON
TQ3084NE CALEDONIAN ROAD
635-1/44/123 (East side)
Nos.408-416 (Consecutive)
Carrick House, Caledonian Estate and
attached railings
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.
Carrick House is of red brick in Flemish bond with dressings
of glazed brick and granite, and roof of tiles. Four storeys
below the eaves, with a fifth storey party in gables and
partly as dormers in the attic. The front to Caledonian Road
is set out symmetrically, five-storey gabled ranges
alternating with ranges of four storeys plus dormers; and
there is a common gable treatment whereby the gable proper
covers only the central part of each range, the outer part
running up into parapeted 'shoulders' flanking the lower part
of each gable; this is referred to here as a 'shouldered
gable'. 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
centrepiece has a round-arched carriage entrance, shouldered,
multi-ordered and detailed in glazed brick and granite, rising
through the ground and first floors with a corbelled and
arcaded quasi-balcony above; the two central windows in this
four-window range are set back slightly on the second, third
and fourth floors, while the outer windows to the third floor
and all those to the fourth floor are flat-arched, those to
the third floor set under a round arch of gauged brick with
plastered tympanum, and the outer windows to the fourth floor
being casements; semi-circular gable over the central,
set-back windows, with a shoulder in the form of an embattled
parapet.
On either side of the centrepiece, a range of five windows
slightly set back, with flat-arched windows to the third floor
under round arches set back between piers, deep eaves and
flat-arched dormers. Then a range of four windows, the inner
windows to the fourth floor being flat-arched casements under
a round arch, the tympanum decorated with herring-bone
brickwork, and separated by buttress-like strips; shouldered
gable, the parapets embattled. Then a range of four windows
slightly set back and detailed as for the preceding range of
five with deep eaves and flat-arched dormers; then outer
ranges of two windows, the windows set back under a hipped
roof between embattled parapets, those to the third floor
flat-arched under a round arch, and flat-arched casements to
the fourth floor. Ridge stacks.
The rear elevation is set out symmetrically, with a central
range under an embattled parapet; then a narrow range to
either side with a canted staircase bay; then a range of four
windows under a shouldered gable; then another staircase
range; and then wings with three windows under a hipped roof
between embattled parapets.
Cast-iron railings to Caledonian Road, extending for c.20
metres either side of the main entrance to much-decayed
stuccoed end piers: cast-iron plinth, railings with spearhead
finials, bracketed standards with pineapple finials, and
grouped standards at the entrance end, originally forming gate
piers; these ranges of railings are connected to the building
at either end by lower ranges of spear-head railings.
(Historians' file, English Heritage London Division).
Listing NGR: TQ3062184701
