• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
    • First Time Here?
    • Archive
    • London Blogs
  • Blog
  • Travel
    • London Theater Tickets
    • Shopping
    • Tips
    • Tours
    • Transport
    • Maps
    • Parks
    • Resources
    • Restaurants
    • Top 10 London
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Buildings
    • Food
    • London Books
    • Movies
    • Museums
    • Music
    • Pubs
  • Londonism
    • Reviews
    • Fun London
    • Iconic London
    • Life in London
    • London Realities
    • Moving to London
    • Politics
  • The Tube
  • London History
    • Great London Buildings
    • Great Londoners
  • Contact
  • Guidebooks
    • 101 London Travel Tips – Guidebook
    • 101 Free Things to do in London

Londontopia

The Website for People Who Love London

You are here: Home / Columns / Great London Buildings / Top Ten London: 10 Fascinating and Beautiful London Housing Estates

Top Ten London: 10 Fascinating and Beautiful London Housing Estates

Oct 3, 2018 By John Rabon

Since the Victorian period, the British government and local councils have taken it upon themselves to ensure that housing was provided to the working classes.  Part of this was out of concern for the health of lower-income persons who were often packed into slums as well as being a progressive step toward municipal planning.  In the wake of destruction caused by the London Blitz, many new housing estates popped up sporting a Brutalist design that became popular in the post-war period.  Today London is home to over a dozen housing estates, some of which are iconic buildings in the city.  We’ve identified our top ten favorite housing estates in London, and you can let us know your favorites in the comments.

Brandon Estate

Located in Southwark, the Brandon Estate was built in 1958 to bring life back to the south side of the Thames that was full of “dingy 19th Century terrace houses interspersed with bomb sites”.  The estate comprised a series of six towers, bungalows for older residents, and family homes all done in a modernist style.  Today, the estate is most known for its appearance on Doctor Who where it doubled for the Powell Estate, home to Rose Tyler, her mum Jackie, and her boyfriend Mickey.

Thamesmead Estate

When Thamesmead was built in the 1960s, it transformed mostly marshland along the river into one of the largest housing estates in London.  Developers felt that some of the problems caused on other estates were the product of working families being more insulated from each other than they had in terraced housing, so the new scheme was enacted to help more extended families move to Thamesmead.  It’s also said that the estate had one of the most stringent requirements for assignment so as to cut down on crime.  The estate was created with more pedestrian pathways in mind to make it easier for residents to get around and like the Brandon Estate, it has its share of media fame as the primary location for Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of A Clockwork Orange.

Trellick Tower

One of the city’s housing estates that is Grade II listed, Trellick Tower opened in 1972 and was based on the Brutalist designs of Eno Goldfinger.  It was one of the last high-rise housing estates built as similar designs were falling out of favor with the newly-created Greater London Council, the London County Council’s successor.  Once a haven for criminal behavior, the institution of a “right to buy” program led to many residents renovating their flats and reviving the tower as a whole.

World’s End Estate

Seven twenty-story towers comprise the World’s End Estate which has one of the most enviable views in London, one that includes the Royal Albert Hall and BT Tower.  Another Victorian slum converted into a housing estate, it was constructed during the 1960s, and its shops ended up becoming a rather trendy area for young people of the period.  The estate has since fallen on some harder times and is treated b some as an example of the wealth disparity that exists between the residents of the estate and the rest of Chelsea.

Dawson’s Heights Estate

Built from 1968 to 1972 by then-twenty-six-year old Kate Macintosh, Dawson’s Heights Estates certainly has its fans.  Still following the Brutalist architecture of the many housing estates going up at the time, Macintosh studied them all in order how to make her own design different.  This led her to design two blocks located around a central public space with a tiered structure rather than the ugly block towers that seemed to define the other estates.  The end result was a much more picturesque Brutalist structure that stands out in the London skyline.

Blenheim Gardens Estate

Located not too far from the Brixton Windmill, the Blenheim Garden Estates were built from 1972 to 1974 and is full of low-rise homes with brick and shingles that look cozier and inviting that most other Brutalist housing structures.  With lovely homes that are “warm and efficient” and in a neighborhood such as Brixton Hill, it earns one of the higher points on the list.

Boundary Estate

Not just the oldest housing estate in London, Boundary Estate is the oldest housing estate in the world, having opened in 1900.  Located in Shoreditch, construction began in 1890 following on the heels of the Housing for the Working Classes Act.  A product of its time, the estate’s design is more Victorian in nature than the Brutalist structures that came later and includes lovely public spaces such as the estate’s bandstand.

Branch Hill Estate

Located in Camden, you almost have to go looking hard for Branch Hill Estate as it’s surrounded by greenery.  The Camden Council formed in the 1960s and set about making its own contribution to the city’s housing estates, resulting in a more modernist two-story structures that really gave the feeling of homes rather than flats.  The tiered homes are crisscrossed with pedestrian walkways and greenery, making them unlike most of the other entries on this list.

Alexandria and Ainsworth Estate

And speaking of tiered estate homes with greenery, the Alexandria and Ainsworth Estate in Camden shows that Brutalist structures don’t necessarily mean raw equals ugly.  Neave Brown designed it in 1968 as a direct contrast to the high-rises that the LCC had preferred.  The terraced houses were replaced by high-density, multi-tiered Brutalist homes with sharp angles and today has a lot of greenery provided by the residents.  As with Thamesmead and Brandon, it’s achieved a degree of film fame as the home of Eggsy in the Kingsman film series.  It was also the first post-war housing estate to achieve Grade II listed status.

Barbican Estate

Perhaps the greatest example in the city, many housing estates are also multi-use developments, but none go so far as the Barbican.  It was built from the 1960s to 1980s to replace a section of London that was heavily bombed during the war.  The estate today contains several housing towers, residential terrace blocks, restaurants, stores, and the Barbican Center that includes the City of London School for Girls, the Museum of London, and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.  It truly is the best example of what a housing estate can be.

John Rabon
Author: John Rabon

John is a regular writer for Anglotopia and its sister websites. He is currently engaged in finding a way to move books slightly to the left without the embarrassment of being walked in on by Eddie Izzard. For any comments, questions, or complaints, please contact the Lord Mayor of London, Boris Johnson's haircut.

close

Free London News

Get the latest news on London history, culture, travel, exhibitions, and more right in your inbox!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Share this:

  • Print
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • Pocket

Filed Under: Architecture, Buildings, Featured, Great London Buildings, History, Londonism

Subscribe to Our Free London Updates

Free London News

Get the latest news on London history, culture, travel, exhibitions, and more right in your inbox!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

About John Rabon

John is a regular writer for Anglotopia and its sister websites. He is currently engaged in finding a way to move books slightly to the left without the embarrassment of being walked in on by Eddie Izzard. For any comments, questions, or complaints, please contact the Lord Mayor of London, Boris Johnson's haircut.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Nick Davies says

    Oct 3, 2018 at 2:31 pm

    There are rather more than a dozen housing estates in London….try a thousand or two. As a tourist you might feel out of place wandering around some of these places. Look like you know what you’re doing if you drift away from the main roads.

  2. Pam Shropshire says

    Oct 9, 2018 at 2:54 pm

    I recently discovered the Rivers of London series (urban fantasy) by Ben Aaronovitch. One of the books features an estate based on the Barbican. I enjoyed several YouTube videos shot on and around the estate, as well as interviews of some of the residents.

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to Our Free London Updates

Free London News

Get the latest news on London history, culture, travel, exhibitions, and more right in your inbox!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Get the Anglotopia/Londontopia App

Our Advertisers

If you are a mobile gamer, you may want to take a look at UK’s new mobile casinos and slots reviewed by NewCasinoUK.

Join the London Forum

  • MY FAVOURITE PLACE IN LONDON
  • What's Your Favorite Place in London?
  • Paddington Station

London Guide

  • London’s Non-Free Museums: Your Guide to London’s Museums That Charge Admission
  • Trip Planning: Top 10 Exhibitions To Plan Your 2018 Trips to London Around
  • London Guide: Our Favorite Restaurants in London – London Restaurant Recommendations for Americans – What’s Your Favorite?

Connect With Us

  • Facebook
  • RSS Feed
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Support Londontopia

Search our Extensive Archive

Top 10 London

  • Ten Unusual Exhibits to See in London
  • London Pubs: Ten Thameside Pubs for a Pint and a View
  • Top 10 London: Ten More Things to Do Along the River Thames
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Shopping Centers in London
  • Museums of London: Ten Overlooked London Museums
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Haggerston
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Haringey
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Redbridge
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Hillingdon
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to Do in Canonbury

Recent Posts

  • London City Airport bids to ease Saturday flight ban
  • London Alert: Announcing the Beautiful London Annual for 2023 – Special Holiday Weekend Pre-order Offer!
  • Freddie Mercury’s childhood stamp collection to go on display this summer at The Postal Museum
  • Heathrow Airport told to reduce passenger charges
  • City of London urged to reconsider plans to demolish historic Barbican buildings and Museum of London
  • Windrush generation makes our culture richer, says William as monument unveiled at Waterloo Station
  • National Gallery announces plans for year-long festival to celebrate its bicentenary in 2024
  • Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2022 Report
  • London Alert: Announcing Our latest book – London Tube 101 – History, Culture, and Travel on London’s Transport Network
  • Tube Histories: A Brief History of Docklands Light Railway

Best Posts on Londontopia

  • 101 London Travel Tips
  • Top 100 London Attractions
  • How to Find the Cheapest Airfares to London
  • 10 Things NOT to do in London
  • Best London Guidebooks
  • 101 Free Things to do in London
  • London Lingo – A London Word Dictionary
  • Top 7 Tips for Doing London on the Cheap
  • Top 11 Myths American Believe about London
  • Guide to Eating in London
  • Best Times of Year to Travel to London
  • London Packing Tips
  • Top 11 Movies Set in London
  • Top Attractions off the Tourist Track
  • Top 5 Most Amazing London Hotels
  • Top 10 Hostels in London
  • Best Views in London Restuarants
  • London Taxi Ettiquette
  • Top 12 London Views
  • Great Fire of London
  • A Guide to Five of London’s Bridges
  • 10 Random Facts and Figures about Trafalgar Square
  • Top 100 British Slang Words

London Places to Explore

Bloomsbury Buckingham Palace Canary Wharf City of London Covent Garden Cutty Sark Greenwich Hampstead Hampton Court Palace Heathrow Houses of Parliament Hyde Park Imperial War Museum Islington Kensington Kensington Palace Leicester Square London London Eye London Transport Museum Museum of London National Gallery Notting Hill Piccadilly Circus Putney Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Regent's Street Royal Academy Selfridges Somerset House Southbank Southwark St Pancras St Paul's Cathedral Tate Britain Tate Modern The City Tower Bridge Tower of London Trafalgar Square V&A Wandsworth West End Westminster Westminster Abbey

SIGN-UP FOR FREE LONDON WEEKLY UPDATES!

Please enter a valid email address
That address is already in use
The security code entered was incorrect
Thanks for signing up

Recent Videos

Walk Around London Virtually Right Now – Watched Walker is the YouTube Channel We All Need Right Now

Jason Hawkes Shares a Beautiful Video of London From Above That We All Need Right now

London Tube: You’ve Got to Watch This Amazing Mesmerizing Animation That Shows the Real Geography of the London Underground

Video: The Basics of Crossrail – London’s New Underground Line

London History: The Place Where Old London Double Decker Buses Went to Die

London Video: A Look at the Great Smog of London

London Alert: Announcing Our latest book – London Tube 101 – History, Culture, and Travel on London’s Transport Network

Tube Histories: A Brief History of Docklands Light Railway

London Alert: Passengers told to avoid Tube on Monday during 24-hour RMT strike

Tube Histories: A Brief History of the District Line

It’s a hit! More than one million journeys were made on new central section of the Elizabeth line

Laura’s London: Elizabeth Line Opening Day First Person Report

Footer

About Londontopia

Londontopia is simply the website for people who love London. It was founded by Jonathan & Jackie Thomas from Anglotopia.net as a place to post articles solely focused on London and its environs. Keep up with all the latest London news at Londontopia! This site is geared towards people who love to visit London and our primary audience is North American but everyone is welcome!

When We’re in London Next

We don’t currently have any travel plans to London but hope to visit at some point in 2021.

  • SEO Backlinks
  • Travel Blog

SIGN-UP FOR FREE LONDON WEEKLY UPDATES!

Please enter a valid email address
That address is already in use
The security code entered was incorrect
Thanks for signing up

Copyright © 2022 Anglotopia, LLC · Website Developed by Anglotopia, LLC · Log in

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.