Heritage Statement
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Heritage Statement This document should be read in conjunction with the Heritage Statement. 13/05/19 53 Newington Green London N16 9PX Contents 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 2 Proposed Development.................................................................................................................................................................................... 2 2. Description of the heritage asset ........................................................................................................................................................ 2 Site Description ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 2 Existing site usage .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 2 Existing building ....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 2 Site context and local area ............................................................................................................................................................................. 3 Assessment of history and significance .............................................................................................................................................. 3 History of the building......................................................................................................................................................................................... 4 3. Design Proposal ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 5 Proposed works ....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Impact of proposed works.............................................................................................................................................................................. 6 Sources ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 6 1 1. Introduction This document forms part of the Listed Building Consent Application submitted by Katie Le Beron on behalf of the leaseholder, Alun James. Please read in conjunction with the other documents, drawings and photos submitted as part of the application. Proposed Development The owners of 53 Newington Green have asked Katie Le Beron to design and coordinate minor revisions to their existing ground floor lighting at their Grade 1 listed property at 53 Newington Green, within the terms of their 975 year lease from their freeholder, English Heritage. 2. Description of the heritage asset Site Description The property is in Newington Green, Islington, and is part of what is the oldest surviving terrace of houses in England. The terrace is an early example, and possibly prototype, of formal, terraced, London town housing. Nos 52-55 Newington Green are dated 1658 by a carved brick panel above the central pilaster in the main façade. Fig 1. Location map Existing site usage The current use of the building is as private residential accommodation, and it is intended that this use is retained. Existing building The building forms part of the grade 1 listed terrace of 52-55 Newington Green. The properties were first listed in September 1954. No 53 Newington Green was given a basic fabric restoration first by the GLC after a compulsory purchase, and then by English Heritage between 1987 and 1989, and the repairs are documented in drawings now in the EH London Region, Drawings Collection. 2 A report written by Richard Lea and published in July 2004 by English Heritage gives an account of the historical development of the entire terrace and contains a guide to the most recent drawing records made during the restoration of the building. The report discusses the buildings’ initial layout and facade, and the subsequent alterations which occurred in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Fig 2 53 Newington Green Exterior Site context and local area The property is in the London Borough of Islington, on Newington Green. Assessment of history and significance The property is located within the Newington Green conservation area, designated in 1970, which is centred on the old village green around which houses have been clustered since Tudor times. The building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest. Historic England List Entry Number: 1293320 ‘Terraced Houses. Dated 1658 in a panel above the central pilaster; later alterations. Poss No 55 restored c.1983-4 by the Greater London Council, nos 53-4 c.1987-8 by English Heritage. Red brick laid in English bond, roof of slate to no 52, the rest of tiles. Four and five storeys, two windows each. Unusual plan, each house having a central dog-leg staircase, between chimneybreasts. Ground floor has central round arch to passage to rear, C19 pilasters with bracketed fascia stops, and C20 shop fronts between. First and second floor have flat-arched windows between a giant order of Doric pilasters with entablature; the windows are in frames set almost flush with the wall at these levels, those to nos 53-55 having 6/6 sashes of original design, all or most presumably replacements; there is a round arch over each of the first-floor windows, slightly projecting, with a square panel recessed in the tympanum;(...) no 53 is rebuilt from the entablature upwards with flat-arched windows set under a slightly projecting segmental arch, brick coping to gable;(..). Rear elevations of brown brick with mostly segmental- arched windows, probably of later date than the front, and much rebuilt.’ 3 Regarding the interior, the listing mentions the following about No 53: ‘No 53 has a staircase with square newels having ball finials and turned pendants, bulbous turned balusters, chamfered rail and closed string. There are closets either side of some fireplaces and some original floorboards. The ground-floor back room has a back door with hooks for door bars, panelling to the lower part of the wall, and a C18 flat-arched moulded architrave with keystone to fireplace; late C18 or early C19 grate in first-floor back room; second-floor front room has flat- arched moulded architrave to fireplace of late C17 date with early-to-mid-C19 grate, and the back room has a strap-hinged plank door connecting to no 52. In 1994 the three houses were structurally sound, weather-tight and vacant, and were sold to Christopher Christou for conversion to domestic use. English Heritage concludes that ‘these houses are extremely rare survivals of pre-Restoration and pre-Great Fire town houses, and are thus one of the most remarkable groups of seventeenth-century buildings in London.’ (Historians’ file, English Heritage, London Division, accessed here: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1293320 History of the building Richard Lea’s report ’52-54 Newington Green Islington – The historical development of the oldest surviving terrace of houses in England’ written for Peter Watts of English Heritage in July 2004, details the various stages in the life of No 53. Key stages of note to the life and changes of 53 are summarised below: - 1658 – An old house on the west side of Newington Green was replaced by a terraced row of four houses, nos. 52-55 Newington Green. - 17th century – Doors cut through the party walls of 52 & 53 at ground, 1st and 2nd floor level. The uniformity of the work joining the six rooms suggests the same ownership. Doors were also cut through the party walls at basement level for shared tenancy at this level but there does not appear to be any similarity to the doors on the floors above. - Early 18th century – the panelling in the rear ground floor room dates from the 18th century but it is thought that at this time it was reduced to dado level. The fireplace in this room was reduced in width to accommodate an 18th Century surround with a keystone. Panelling was introduced to the first-floor front room and the fireplace also reduced and a plain marble surround inserted. On the second floor the fireplace was reduced, and bolection moulding used to create a surround. - Late 18th century – The windows of the 1st and 2nd floor were converted to sashes at the front and rear. In the basement the fireplace in the front room was reduced (prior to the lowering of the floor) and in the rear room, the fireplace was subdivided into two. - 19th century – A double S tie plate and rod were installed at the 2nd floor level in a central pilaster in front of 53. The gable wall was altered to include a sash window. Further changes took place at basement level to the fireplaces. - C.1895 – The