Description
The largest of Eric Lyons' schemes for Span Developments Ltd, Parkleys consists of 169 flats and 6 shops in two and three storey blocks on the main road. Behind this 'protective barrier' two storey terraces are grouped around enclosures, with vistas of the landscaping around and beyond. The landscaping of trees, grass and shrubs emphasise colour, contrast, texture and contour with areas of paving, lawns and planting on rectangular designs. The spirit of the original design is still evident. Prior to housing development the land had been a nursery and a number of existing trees were retained and incorporated into the landscaping.
Practical Information
| Site location | off Upper Ham Road, Ham |
|---|---|
| Postcode | TW10 |
| What3Words | ///dots.weedy.shelf |
| Type of Site | Housing/Estate Landscaping |
| Borough | Richmond |
| Open to Public | Partially |
| Opening Times | Appears to have unrestricted access to public areas |
| Public Transport | Rail/London Overground/Tube (District): Richmond then bus. |
| Research Updated | 1 March 2004 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The Span development consortium grew from the partnership formed in 1938 by architects Eric Lyons (1912-80) and Geoffrey Paulson Townsend who embraced Modernist ideology. In the late 1940s the partnership evolved whereby Townsend would act as developer, acquiring the site for a housing scheme that Lyons would then design. In 1957 Townsend acquired a company, Span, and this led to the establishment of Span Developments Ltd, which also included builder and developer Leslie Bilsby, who had worked with such Modernist architects as Erno Goldfinger and Denys Lasdun. In 1955 Eric Cunningham had joined Lyons' architectural team and became particularly responsible for the design of the landscaping for the schemes, the partnership becoming the Eric Lyons Cunningham Partnership in 1963. The Span schemes were often set within existing planting, such as here at Parkleys sited on a former nursery. Part of the ethos was to engender a communal spirit whereby the residents took responsibility for the overall environment and initially nearly all Span schemes were originally leasehold properties, Span remaining ground landlord, with tenants covenanted to keep the estate in good order. Maintenance of communal areas was undertaken through residents' management committees.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ179717 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 3.24 |
| Site Ownership | Private |
| Dates | 1953-6; 1967 |
| Designers | Eric Lyons / Ivor Cunningham (Span Developments Ltd) |
| 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 | Richmond |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Parkleys Estate |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.
Nearby parks and gardens
St Andrew's Church was built in 1830/1, a grey brick building with two turrets, and was later enlarged with a south aisle with rose window in 1860. In 1900-01 a red-brick chancel was added, designed by Bodley and Garner. The entrance to the churchyard is through a lych-gate leading to shrub beds around the steps leading to the church door. Within the churchyard are a number of good chest tombs and a War Memorial within railings on 3 sides with a gate onto Ham Common. The churchyard is partly bounded by hedge, with railings to Church Road.
Ham Common is adjacent to Richmond Park beyond Ham Gate. In 1635 the local inhabitants were granted certain rights on the common by Charles I in return for the 483 acres he took when creating his New Park, later called Richmond Park. There are a number of fine C18th houses overlooking the common, particularly the western open area, such as Cassel House, now a hospital and St Michael's Convent, formerly Orford Hall. The South Avenue that leads from the riverside Ham House extends onto Ham Common. Ham Pond is the focal point here, where horses were watered in the past. East of the main road Ham Common Woods are thickly planted, and have paths and horse tracks crossing it.
The Cassel Hospital faces onto the western boundary of Ham Common, near Ham Pond. In 1863 the mid C18th house that still remains as part of the hospital was purchased on his marriage by the Duc de Chartres, exiled prince of Orleans family, and trees that remain on lawns are likely to date from that time. In c.1880 it became West Heath School, and later Lawrence Hall Hotel. In 1947 it was purchased by the Cassel Foundation, whose Cassel Hospital for Functional Nervous Disorders had opened in 1921 in Penshurst Kent. It became part of the NHS and is now West London Mental Health Trust, although its future is uncertain. The grounds comprise lawns with mature trees including oak, sweet chestnut, weeping ash, Scots pine, cedar, and one ancient pollarded oak predating the house. Woodland surrounding the lawn is densest on the north west; an old walled garden is beyond narrow woodland to the south west, with an apple orchard at the rear.