After an afternoon visit to Highgate Cemetery, wander down Swains Lane towards Parliament Hill and you’ll come across a small estate of gorgeous Gothic houses. This is Holly Village.
Erected in 1865 for philanthropist Baroness Angela Burdett-Coutts (grand-daughter of Thomas Coutts – founder of the bank which requires its new customers these days to have a deposit of £500000), and designed by Gothic-loving architect Henry Astley Darbishire.
Columbia Market (miyalee.wordpress.com)
As an aside, the two were also involved in the building of the now disappeared enormously Gothic Columbia Market in Bethnal Green in 1869, which was disgracefully pulled down in 1958. This was a charitable venture, intended to provide an open food market in the East End but closed in 1885 due to the power of a local monopoly in the food business.
Back to Holly Village – there is debate about whether the houses were built for Burdett-Coutts’ servants as another attempt at charity, or for purely economic reasons. The village consists of a group 8 buildings gathered around a green. There isn’t an awful lot of privacy for the residents, but I suspect that there is a nice community vibe.
The houses are built of the highest quality materials – teak wood, Portland stone, and Italian carvers were employed to carve the wood. There are small animals in the stonework (Burdett-Coutts later founded the RSPCA) as well as gargoyles, there are spires, turrets and gables. Everything you could want for a family home.
In the picture at the top of this page you’ll see two ladies on either side of the arch. These are representations of Baroness Burdett-Coutts and her companion and governess Hannah Brown. The former holds a dog, and the latter a dove.
I’ve found this great article from 2004 about a “Teletubbies-style cellar” – I wonder what happened?
Born in Belfast and now living in London, Julie McNamee is involved in internet marketing as a day job and blogging as a hobby. She’s interested in all things quirky and Fortean, as well as art, photography and theatre. Her blog Quirky Travel, specializes in London and Paris top tips and off the beaten path information with subjects such as London film locations and unusual Paris museums.
