ALAN CASH - web pages
Collection of books on Welwyn Garden City
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ALAN CASH - web pages Collection of books on Welwyn Garden City |
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This is a town planner's book which discusses the size of towns and the disposition of towns in relation to the countryside. The author Sir Frederic J. Osborn was one of the founders of Welwyn Garden City. Much of the discussion revolves around this town and also Letchworth, the first Garden City of Howard's creation. The text is illustrated by 35 black and white photographs of mostly domestic architecture, but also some of commercial and industrial buildings. The illustrations are below with captions as in the book.
I. LETCHWORTH: HOUSING SCHEMES In cottage design stringent economy
was reconciled with planning for internal convenience, sunlight incidence,
and external harmony. The standards thus evolved had world-wide influence. |
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One of the first groups; built 1904. (click image to enlarge) |
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Low-rented houses built for local authority; 1915. (click image to enlarge) |
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Low-rented houses for Letchworth U.D.C., 1920. (click image to enlarge) |
II. LETCHWORTH: PUBLIC AND BUSINESS BUILDINGS The earlier public buildings had the informality of domestic architecture.
Later civic and domestic buildings were more formal, but much variety of architectural style was permitted.
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Mrs. Howard Memorial Hall and Girls' Club; 1905. (click image to enlarge) |
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Leys Avenue, a main shopping street. (click image to enlarge) |
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The Estate Office, Broadway; 1913. (click image to enlarge) |
III. LETCHWORTH: FACTORIES Factory buildings are of great diversity of design and
construction. Most were built to the requirements of particular firms. A few were
built on adaptable designs for letting in sections as required.
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The Spirella Factory: a three-storey building for a light industry, surrounded by gardens; built 1912-9. (click image to enlarge) |
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Parachute factory (Irving Air Chute Company); 1934. (click image to enlarge) |
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Factories for municipal service vehicles (Shelvoke and Drewry) and Hollerith tabulators (British
Tabulating Machine Company); 1920. (click image to enlarge) |
IV. WELWYN: HOUSING SCHEMES The prevailing architectural style derives from the
Georgian tradition, with which modern influences are fused. As at Letchworth,
severe economy was a basic factor. Simple, convenient designs are treated with
infinite variety in layout and skilful planting. The three examples shown are
schemes by housing societies. Many schemes have also been built by the local authority. |
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A close having open front garden layouts; 1926. All houses have private back gardens.
(click image to enlarge) |
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A square having open front garden layouts; 1928. All houses have private back gardens.
(click image to enlarge) |
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Houses with enclosed front gardens; layout influenced by existing trees; 1926. All houses have private back gardens.
(click image to enlarge) |
V. THE HOUSE AND GARDEN A fundamental merit of low-density housing, as against
multi-storey dwellings, is direct access from ground-floor living space to gardens
at front and back, as illustrated by these typical scenes at Welwyn. |
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A family living-room with window-door to back garden.
(click image to enlarge) |
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Front gardens in a square. (click image to enlarge) |
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Front gardens in a through street. (click image to enlarge) |
VI. GROUPING AND INDIVIDUALITY The individual design of houses is not necessarily
incompatible with harmonious street pictures, if enough care and skill is given
to architecture, layout and planting. Three of many solutions of this problem
at Welwyn. |
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Detached and semi-detached houses of differing size
and design, Guessens Road (click image to enlarge) |
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Detached houses, Parkway, successfully atttaining pleasing street or terrace effect. (click image to enlarge) |
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Houses designed separately for individual
owners, harmonized by use of similar materials and style in woodland setting (click image to enlarge) |
VII. WELWYN: COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS The main Civic and Buisiness Centre
at Welwyn observes a consistent architectural style, with much variety
in treatment of façades, openings, shop fronts and the smaller details. |
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Howardsgate, south side: Midland Bank, private shops,
and Co-operative Society's stores, with offices over; 1922-34. (click image to enlarge) |
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North aspect of Welwyn Stores, facing the Campus, with showrooms, offices and residential flats above; 1939. (click image to enlarge) |
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Howardsgate, north side: Post Office and Barclays Bank; about 1930. (click image to enlarge) |
VIII. WELWYN: SOME OTHER BUILDINGS The Cherry Tree Restaurant (licensed premises with dance and assembly rooms,
dining rooms and tea gardens), the Railway Station, and the first Council School. |
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Cherry Tree Restaurant; 1933. (click image to enlarge) |
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Railway Station; 1926. (click image to enlarge) |
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First Elementary School for Herts County Council; 1922-6. (click image to enlarge) |
IX. WELWYN: FACTORIES The Welwyn industrial buildings exhibit a wide variety of design and construction.
Besides many factories built by firms for particular processes,
Welwyn has paid much attention to sectional factories for letting on rental. |
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The Norton Factory, producing grinding wheels and abrasives;
kilns right, offices left; 1930. (click image to enlarge) |
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Factory of sectional type; one-storey at rear, two-storey offices
in front; 1932. (click image to enlarge) |
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Two-storey factory, steel frame with concrete walling, originally
designed for sectional occupation. (click image to enlarge) |
X. WELWYN: FACTORIES One of the most recent industrial buildings in Welwyn is the Roche Products factory; 1939.
The illustrations show the administrative building and laboratories,
and the interior of one of the vitamin-synthesizing plants. |
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Administrative building and research laboratories. (click image to enlarge) |
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A vitamin-synthesizing plant. (click image to enlarge) |
XI. STREET PLANTING In both Garden Cities great care has been given to the choice and arrangement of flowering
and ornamental trees, shrubs, hedges, and grass verges. Of innumerable different treatments, three are illustrated.
In other streets, beds of roses and other flowers have been successfully maintained. |
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Icknield Way, Letchworth - one of the earliest roads,
on the line of an ancient British highway; almonds in flower. (click image to enlarge) |
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Parkway, Welwyn: central gardens with double avenues of pleached
limes, broken by groups of whitebeams, interspersed with formal beds of
roses and Dutch lavender. (click image to enlarge) |
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Norton Way, Letchworth: chestnuts in flower. (click image to enlarge) |
XII. SOME INDIVIDUAL HOUSES While in both towns designs are subject to approval by the City Architects,
many architects design houses for individual clients, and the range of inspiration is wide.
Three illustrations can give only a faint indication of the characteristic styles. |
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A pair of houses built at Letchworth about 1905 for their own occupation by Raymond Unwin (left) and Barry Parker (right). (click image to enlarge) |
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(2) An early Welwyn house showing the Georgian influence; 1923. (click image to enlarge) |
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(3) A somewhat later Welwyn house; 1925. (click image to enlarge) |