The Bookbinders' Charitable Society
BOOKBINDERS' COTTAGES, WHETSTONE
3, Bookbinders' Cottages, Bawtry Road, Whetstone, London N20 OSS
Historical Inheritance
In relation to Almshouses in general,
relevant trustees, must consider the importance of the inherited history or, if
they are lucky, a group of buildings of historical importance. This places
extra responsibilities in the care of documents and buildings, with their own
importance above and beyond caring for almshouses and alms people.
The Bookbinders Cottages
In 1830 a group of Bookbinders' formed a
Friendly Society, being The Bookbinders' Pension Society, and followed this
with the construction of The Bookbinders' Provident Asylum, in 1843, at Balls
Pond Road, Islington. Extra wings were built as the charity grew, up until
1882. As with so many other charities in London, The Bookbinders' purchased
land on the outskirts of London. The land was at sometime used as a vinery and
is shown on the OS map of 1898 as an open field parcel off the end of a very
short leg of Bawtry Road, still the same in 1908. This was in an area near
Europe's largest and most modern Lunatic Asylum of 1851 at Colney Hatch. Parish
almshouses were outside of the area, save for one at Arnos Grove, The Clock and
Watchmakers' Asylum of 1858. This was a growing region of development, which
had a natural appeal for those wishing to offer sanctuary. In 1926 the land was
described as Lot 3 of Freehold property of Cefn Bangor and Woodbine Villa, with
the uppermost area as allotment gardens. The Bookbinders' Society built their
new garden village cottages in the centre section of the site at Whetstone,
completed September 1927. Land to the north was sold off in 1932 to Batemen
Building Company and land to the south was sold to the local council, in 1959,
with some adjustments to the line of the lower boundary of the almshouse site.
Work History
Half of the site and cottages were sold off
to The Scottish Hospital of The Foundation of King Charles II, in 1976, which
assisted in the building of the eight new flats at the lower portion of the
remaining site. The older cottages were due for additions and improvements,
most of this was carried out over the period 1984-8. The final phase of work was
carried out to cottage 1-4, to provide 6 modern flats in 1995-6. There are now three blocks of four, one
block of six and the block of eight flats, making a total of 26 flats.
Construction of The Cottages
The cottages were completed in 1927 of
brick walls in two leaves with a cavity, of mixed colour, with feature quoins
and soldiers over openings. Sills are of brick on edge. Over each front door,
there is a canopy of concrete, with classical moulded profiles, covered and
flashed with lead, on reinforced concrete cantilevers. All but the 1-4 block
still have the circular windows on their fronts; the 1-4 block has been
converted and takes advantage of the motif and has circular windows and squinch
windows on the rear elevations. The roofs are finished with concrete plain red
tiling on cut timber trusses. Each of the gable ends features a large iron
scrolled "A" around the original roof gable vent. The roof continues
down over an extended slope, to cover the rear store rooms, where they remain.
The original cottages have a pair of feature gables on their faces; block 1-4
has only one, but the gable end includes a stone plaque commemorating the
founding of the charity and of the opening of these cottages. Flues terminate
in large brick chimneys, with a feature band at ridge height. Windows are of
metal of the Crittal type; block 1-4 has been fitted with double glazed uPVC
windows, with imitation glazing bars for effect. Front doors are of solid
timber construction with a top glazed area of 3 x 2 panes, with three vertical
panels in the lower part of the door; block 1-4 has been fitted with uPVC doors
and frames with imitation glazing bars. Floors are of timber construction.
Between the upper three of the buildings there are two brick walls, each with
an arched opening, leading to the inner garden, adding to the seclusion of the
site. Cottage unit 9-12 has been adapted so that the first floor flats are
accessed via steel external staircases, with roofs, and an extension was formed
on the front face, echoing the existing features. Besides or near to each of
the red-painted brick steps to the front doors of each of the flats are low
brick fuel stores, set on the wall of the cottages.
Construction of The New Flats
The lower new flats are formed in a long terrace completed c1981, which
continues on to enjoin the newer almshouses of the Royal Scottish Corporation,
which were completed in 1978. This arrangement gives some seclusion to the rear
of these cottages. The cottages are of lightweight concrete blockwork, with a
brick outer leaf, the mix is more red than the mix of the original cottages,
and feature vertical panels of doors in plain tile hanging on a solid
lightweight block wall. The floors are of solid concrete construction and the
edges of the first floor slab extend to the outside air in the feature panels.
Roofs are of interlocking concrete tiles on plated trusses. Windows are timber
casements, doors are of timber with a large upper glazed panel, with access to
each flat under a canopied porch of interlocking tiled roof and steel tube
columned support, which has a store of brick construction outside, for the
first floor flats. These cottages are built on trench-fill footings, which
should assist in situations of clay movement.