Description
The Hallfield Estate was one of the first housing estates to be built in Westminster after WWII and was intended as a radical model for Paddington's post-war re-housing programme. The housing estate and Hallfield School were laid out on an area that had suffered severe bomb damage, where there had previously been C19th houses, including some detached villas with large gardens and the estate incorporated some mature trees from the former gardens. The blocks of flats are separated by wide greens, with flower beds near the housing and the landscaping included mounding, flowering shrubs, a hedged garden, and rose beds, and the school is set in landscaped grounds. The estate incorporated some mature trees from the former gardens, including fine London planes, horse chestnut, sycamore, ash, mulberry, magnolias and catalpa.
Practical Information
| Site location | Bishop's Bridge Road/Inverness Terrace |
|---|---|
| Postcode | W2 6HF |
| What3Words | ///images.funds.tilt |
| Type of Site | Housing/Estate Landscaping |
| Borough | Westminster |
| Open to Public | Partially |
| Opening Times | unrestricted to public areas |
| Public Transport | Rail/Tube (Hammersmith & City, District, Circle, Bakerloo): Paddington. Tube: Royal Oak (Hammersmith & City), Bayswater (District, Circle). Bus: 7, 23, 27, 36, 70 |
| Research Updated | 1 November 2007 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The Hallfield Estate was designed by Tecton Architects in 1947 and was built after the firm broke up in 1948 by two of its members, Lindsay Drake and Denys Lasdun. It was intended as a radical model for the Metropolitan Borough of Paddington's post-war re-housing programme, and was Tecton Architects' last commission and largest housing project. It was inspired by Le Corbusier's 'Radiant City', a utopian vision of an urban landscape comprising high density housing blocks set in open parkland and gardens. The estate plan comprised 14 residential blocks, 6 of 10 storeys and 8 of 6 storeys, and communal amenities were to include garages, shops, laundries, a clubroom, public house, nursery school and primary school, with a 'forum' at the heart of the estate, accommodating these facilities in a group of small buildings. This 'forum' was later built in 1960 as Pickering House, a more conventional two-storey building than originally planned, containing sheltered housing, a laundry, estate office, shops, and a health centre. The round laundry at the site's north-east corner was built as planned, as was the primary school, Hallfield School, which opened in 1954, but the nursery school was not built.
The residential blocks were built in 2 phases, the first from 1949-53, the second from 1953-55. The blocks were all named after towns with stations on the Great Western Railway line that ran from Paddington: Caernarvon, Exeter, Bridgewater, Clovelly, Worcester and Tenby in Phase I and Winchester, Marlow, Pembroke, Reading, Brecon, Newbury, Lynton and Taunton in Phase II. The primary school was to be provided for children both on the estate as well as those from outside. Located to the south-west of the housing Hallfield School was built by the LCC in 1953-4, designed by Drake and Lasdun.
Hallfield Estate with Hallfield School were laid out on an area that had suffered severe bomb damage, where there had previously been C19th houses, including some detached villas with large gardens, such as Porchester Mews, and also a large communal garden at the end now occupied by blocks of flats. It is associated with John Claudius Loudon who lived at Nos. 3-5 Porchester Terrace (q.v.).
The residential blocks were built in 2 phases, the first from 1949-53, the second from 1953-55. The blocks were all named after towns with stations on the Great Western Railway line that ran from Paddington: Caernarvon, Exeter, Bridgewater, Clovelly, Worcester and Tenby in Phase I and Winchester, Marlow, Pembroke, Reading, Brecon, Newbury, Lynton and Taunton in Phase II. The primary school was to be provided for children both on the estate as well as those from outside. Located to the south-west of the housing Hallfield School was built by the LCC in 1953-4, designed by Drake and Lasdun.
Hallfield Estate with Hallfield School were laid out on an area that had suffered severe bomb damage, where there had previously been C19th houses, including some detached villas with large gardens, such as Porchester Mews, and also a large communal garden at the end now occupied by blocks of flats. It is associated with John Claudius Loudon who lived at Nos. 3-5 Porchester Terrace (q.v.).
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ260812 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | WCC |
| Site Management | CityWest Homes; Hallfield Residents Association |
| Dates | 1949-60 |
| Designers | Tecton; Lindsay Drake & Denys Lasdun |
| Listed Structures | LBII*: Hallfield School. LBII: Hallfield Estate (14 blocks and laundry) |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Westminster |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Hallfield Estate |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes - Local Importance |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
Gallery
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Nearby parks and gardens
Cleveland Gardens was laid out in c.1855 when the formerly rural area was being developed as part of the Paddington Estate. The garden was entirely refurbished in 2006, the work undertaken by the Residents' Association with the help of grants from EH and WCC. The scheme reinstated traditional Victorian railings to replace the old chain link fencing, paths were reformed and edged, and the garden was replanted. 3 notable London plane trees remain from the earlier garden. A condition of the grant aid was that the garden had to open to the public on 21 days a year.
Cleveland Square was laid out in 1855 when the formerly rural area was being developed as part of the Paddington Estate. The stucco-fronted houses overlook the private garden provided for the residents. The present garden has play areas, bedding, a privet hedge, and fine London plane trees as well as mature plum and cherry trees. A serpentine path through the garden has Victorian edging tiles, a remnant of the original geometrical pattern shown on the OS Map of 1872. The railings are post-1960 with the entrance on the south side. A plaque commemorates a barrage balloon moored in the garden in WWII. A Jubilee Bed was planted in 2012 to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.
Porchester Square is a mid-C19th square completed by 1858, one of the last areas of Bayswater to be developed. The overall layout was overseen by George Gutch, the surveyor of the Bishop of London's extensive Paddington Estate from 1822. The garden was provided for the private use of occupiers of the square, and was managed by a Committee of occupiers. Porchester Square Gardens were acquired by Paddington Borough Council and opened to the public in 1955. Only the peripheral walk relates to the original layout, and the planting, beds and path layout have since been remodelled.
