Description
Pullman Court was built by William Bernstein aimed at young professionals, and designed by architect Frederick Gibberd, a striking modern estate. Originally to be called Relay House, the new development became Pullman Court, possibly to make the connection with what had become a by-word for high speed travel. Many of the existing trees on the site were retained and the blocks were set in landscaped grounds. Among other amenities were roof gardens, an open-air swimming pool, restaurant and social club.
Practical Information
| Site location | Streatham Hill |
|---|---|
| Postcode | SW2 4SZ |
| What3Words | ///dogs.whips.stones |
| Type of Site | Housing/Estate Landscaping |
| Borough | Lambeth |
| Open to Public | Occasionally |
| Opening Times | private for residents, but has opened for London Open House |
| Public Transport | Rail: Streatham Hill, Brixton then bus. Tube: Brixton (Victoria) then bus. Bus: 159, 137, 133, 109, 250 |
| Research Updated | 1 September 2009 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The site was previously that of a residential school for boys and girls established by the Royal Asylum of St Anne's Society in 1830. The school moved to Redhill, Surrey in the late 1880s and part of the site was used for a tram depot, the remaining c.1.2 hectares acquired by William Bernstein for development. He identified there was a market for quality accommodation in the form of one and two bedroom flats for the young professional classes, due to its convenient location for London, and commissioned architect Frederick Gibberd, then 23 years old, to undertake the design. Gibberd's design epitomised the modern age, although there was some opposition among nearby residents, fearful that housing for single people might encourage prostitution. As a result some larger flats were created at the front of the development suitable for young families. Pullman Court consists of 5 3-storey blocks fronting Streatham Hill, two 5-storey blocks along the central driveway and two 7-storey blocks at the back of the site overlooking the covered reservoir of Lambeth waterworks, totalling 218 flats.
Over the years, the gardens suffered from some neglect but in 2009 extra resources were being put into improving the grounds, employing a professional gardener to assist a voluntary group of the residents. Clearing and planting has taken place and the aim is to bring back the original bedding scheme.
Over the years, the gardens suffered from some neglect but in 2009 extra resources were being put into improving the grounds, employing a professional gardener to assist a voluntary group of the residents. Clearing and planting has taken place and the aim is to bring back the original bedding scheme.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ305732 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | private |
| Dates | 1936 |
| Designers | Frederick Gibberd |
| Listed Structures | LBII*: Pullman Court |
| 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 | Lambeth |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Yes (frontage on Streatham Hill is part of Archaeological Priority Area) |
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
Palace Road Nature Garden is on the former garden of a large Victorian house demolished in the 1980s. The site was purchased by Lambeth Council and landscaped with a pond and circular paths, overlaying the earlier domestic garden. A number of the trees and shrubs as well as part of the path system date from the original garden with specimen trees including evergreen oak, Swedish whitebeam and conifer now overlaid by native tree and regenerated native plant material. The pond has good aquatic planting, with a meadow near the entrance. The small park is off a tree-lined road with wide grass verges, itself an important survival of earlier landscaping.
This triangular site was originally a communal garden at the centre of a private development of houses erected in the 1890s. By 1928 it was owned by Holmewood Gardens Limited who managed the garden out of a rent of 10s per annum paid by each house on the estate. It originally fell within LB Wandsworth prior to borough boundary changes. In the 1960s the garden was conveyed to LB Lambeth under the 1906 Open Spaces Act. Restoration works in 1988 included new railings and the intervening roadway was closed off. The garden is divided into two sections either side of a public pathway. Both areas are grassed with a playground in the north area; within the garden are a few mature plane trees and some ornamental species.
The houses of Kirkstall Gardens were built in 1931 by Messrs Tysoe and Harris, who offered the central site as open space to Wandsworth Borough Council and it was conveyed to them in 1932. Kirkstall Gardens remains surrounded by housing and consists of a railed area with lawn, some small ornamental trees and shrubs.
