SPOTLIGHT ON MAIDAVALE AGRAND UNON · stucco mansions,discovers Anthea Masey--...
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homesandproperty.co.uk Anexdus1~ quarter n{)Vf, f.l..._. ""''''ih~ "t.1l%fu ure ~R·~u,lJ:~.:0· e&tainl:y 'loilg . was ~-nfQt pmstlhltiou SPOTLIGHT ON MAIDAVALE A GRAND UN ON .Canasoe Maida Vale has gone from postwar grim to serious glamour with its restored stucco mansions, discovers Anthea Masey -- ••••--HEviewalongtheGrand Union Canal in Maida Vale's Little Venice is one of London's idyllic scenes. Thewaterway is lined with picturesque old canal boats,' some overflowingwithcolour- fulwindow boxes and hanging baskets, others crammed withgrowbagssprout- ing tomatoes and lettuce. The creamy- coloured stuccohouses overlookingthe canal in Blomfield Road and Maida Avenue, and in nearby roads such as Warwick Avenue, Clifton Gardens, CliftonVillasand Bristol Gardens, can now command prices of lJP to £2,000 a square foot, which isapproaching the value ofsimilar houses InHolland Park and Netting Rill. Sandwiched between Paddington to the south, Kilburn to the west and north, and stjohn's Wood to the east, Maida Vale is also known for its spa- cious mansion flats,wide avenues and .-secret communal gardens. Itarrived at its name soon after the Battle ofMaida against the French in Sicily in 1806, when a pub, TheJohn Stuart, Count of Maida, opened in Edgware Road. This now exclusive quarter has come alongwaysincetheSecondWorldWar, when many ofthe houses were broken up into bedsits and the area gained a reputation for prostitution. This was a great embarrassment to the Church Comfnissioners who owned the Maida Vale estate, and in the Seventies the commissioners setabout improvingthe area by sweeping awaythe bedsits and converting the houses into spacious family flats. These homes were later sold to private buyers, paving the way for the area's regeneration. PROPERTY The large stucco houses exude an aura ofgreat wealth but at least 85 per cent ofallMaidaVale'sproperties are flats, either spacious conversions or in the mansion blocks. STAVING POWER It's variable. Some'people who progress from a one- or two-bedroom flat to a three-bedroom flat often find they can't then afford a house, and move out to Queen's Park or Chiswick when they have a family. POSTCODES Maida Valeis almost entirely in W9, except for the little triangle south of the canal and west of Edgware Road, which is ill W2, the Bayswater postcode. BEST STREETS Blomfield Road and Maida Avenue, which are on opposite sides of the canal; Randolph Road and Randolph Crescent and Warwick Avenue. The- most beautiful secret communal gardens are between Randolph Road and Warwick Avenue and between Randolph Crescent and Wariington Crescent. The most expensive house currently for Saleis a new-build, double-fronted, seven-bedroom house in Randolph Road with access to the communal garden, which is oh the market for £25million through estate agents Ian Green (020 75861000). UP-AND-COMING Maida Hill,the area between Shirland Road and Harrow Road,' west of Marylands Road, is still rough around the edges. There are fewer. grand four- and five-storey houses there, mainly converted into flats. The three-bedroom ex-council maisonettes in Aldsworth Close, with wide balconies overlooking the canal, sell for between£320,000 and £360,000-and get snapped up fast. SCHOOLS .Little Sweethearts Montessori school in St Saviour's Church hall in Warwick Avenue is a popular nursery. The two top state primary schools are Stjoseph's RCin Lanark Road and St Saviour's CofEin Shirland Road, both judged ' outstariding by Ofsted..Neither of the two local City Academies - Westminster Academy in Harrow' Road and PaddingtonAcademy in. Marylands Road - do well on the Ofsted front, but both are now housed in new buildings; Westminster Academy'S award- winning, green-striped premises were designed by architects Allford Hall Monaghan Morris. St George's RC;on the corner of Maida Valeand Lanark Road, where headmaster Philip Lawrence was stabbed to death iri1995,does slightly betrer. . King Solomon Academy in Penfold Street, on the eastern side of Edgware Road, is a recently opened
Transcript of SPOTLIGHT ON MAIDAVALE AGRAND UNON · stucco mansions,discovers Anthea Masey--...
homesandproperty.co.uk
Anexdus1~quarter n{)Vf,f.l..._. ""''''ih~"t.1l%fuure ~R·~u,lJ:~.:0·
e&tainl:y'loilg.
was~-nfQtpmstlhltiou
SPOTLIGHT ONMAIDAVALE
A GRAND UN ON.Canasoe Maida Vale has gone from postwargrim to serious glamour with its restoredstucco mansions, discovers Anthea Masey-- ••••--HEviewalongtheGrand
Union Canal in MaidaVale's Little Venice isone of London's idyllicscenes. Thewaterway islined with picturesqueold canal boats,' someoverflowingwith colour-
fulwindow boxes and hanging baskets,others crammed with growbags sprout-ing tomatoes and lettuce. The creamy-coloured stucco houses overlookingthecanal in Blomfield Road and MaidaAvenue, and in nearby roads such asWarwick Avenue, Clifton Gardens,Clifton Villasand Bristol Gardens, cannow command prices of lJP to £2,000a square foot, which is approaching thevalue of similar houses InHolland Parkand Netting Rill.Sandwiched between Paddington to
the south, Kilburn to the west andnorth, and stjohn's Wood to the east,Maida Vale is also known for its spa-cious mansion flats, wide avenues and.-secret communal gardens. It arrived atits name soon after the Battle ofMaidaagainst the French in Sicily in 1806,when a pub, TheJohn Stuart, Count ofMaida, opened in Edgware Road.This now exclusive quarter has come
a longway since the SecondWorldWar,when many of the houses were brokenup into bedsits and the area gained areputation for prostitution. This was agreat embarrassment to the ChurchComfnissioners who owned the MaidaVale estate, and in the Seventies thecommissioners set about improving thearea by sweeping away the bedsits andconverting the houses into spaciousfamily flats. These homes were latersold to private buyers, paving the wayfor the area's regeneration.
PROPERTYThe large stucco houses exude anaura ofgreat wealth but at least 85 percent of allMaidaVale's properties areflats, either spacious conversions or inthe mansion blocks.
STAVING POWERIt's variable. Some'people whoprogress from a one- or two-bedroomflat to a three-bedroom flat often findthey can't then afford a house, andmove out to Queen's Park orChiswick when they have a family.
POSTCODESMaida Vale is almost entirely in W9,except for the little triangle south ofthe canal and west of Edgware Road,which is illW2, the Bayswaterpostcode.
BEST STREETSBlomfield Road and Maida Avenue,which are on opposite sides of thecanal; Randolph Road and RandolphCrescent and Warwick Avenue. The-most beautiful secret communalgardens are between Randolph Roadand Warwick Avenue and betweenRandolph Crescent and WariingtonCrescent. The most expensive housecurrently for Sale is a new-build,double-fronted, seven-bedroomhouse in Randolph Road with accessto the communal garden, which is ohthe market for £25million throughestate agents Ian Green (02075861000).
UP-AND-COMINGMaida Hill, the area betweenShirland Road and Harrow Road,'west of Marylands Road, is still rougharound the edges. There are fewer.grand four- and five-storey housesthere, mainly converted into flats.The three-bedroom ex-councilmaisonettes in Aldsworth Close, withwide balconies overlooking thecanal, sell for between£320,000 and£360,000-and get snapped up fast.
SCHOOLS. Little Sweethearts Montessori schoolin St Saviour's Church hall inWarwick Avenue is a popularnursery. The two top state primary
schools are Stjoseph's RCin LanarkRoad and St Saviour's CofE inShirland Road, both judged 'outstariding by Ofsted ..Neither ofthe two local City Academies -Westminster Academy in Harrow'Road and PaddingtonAcademy in.Marylands Road - do well on theOfsted front, but both are nowhoused in new buildings;Westminster Academy'S award-winning, green-striped premiseswere designed by architects AllfordHall Monaghan Morris. St George'sRC;on the corner of Maida Vale andLanark Road, where headmasterPhilip Lawrence was stabbed todeath iri 1995, does slightly betrer.. King Solomon Academy in PenfoldStreet, on the eastern side ofEdgware Road, is a recently opened
