1960s Span House on the Westfield estate, Ashtead, Surrey
Somewhere I haven’t featured in a long time, so good to see this 1960s Span House on the Westfield estate, Ashtead, Surrey, for sale.
Westfield is one of 30 housing estates built across the UK between 1948 and 1984 by Span, with Eric Lyons being the chief architect overseeing the construction of the houses and, just as importantly, the layout around them.
That layout and the architecture that sits within are the two reasons why we are still talking about Span decades later. Not everyone is smitten by the high-density housing of the 21st century, with estates offering little in the way of recreational space or architectural character. Span estates, largely untouched since construction, offer both.
And Westfield is no exception. Modern architecture that remains modern despite its advancing years and recreational space that will always appeal to families.
Westfield sits on eight acres of well-maintained, mature grounds, with access to a communal tennis court, too, if you happen to be feeling sporty. Yes, there is a monthly charge for that, but that charge also includes the external painting of each house and garage every four years, along with maintenance of the tennis court, roads and footpaths and drainage systems, plus grounds maintenance of communal areas. In short, it keeps the Span estate looking like a Span estate.
The rest is down to you. But someone has given you a head start with this wonderful late 1960s house design. Not just the architecture that is still in place. That’s usually a given with Span. But the interiors can be a bit hit-and-miss. After all, the finish is down to the owner. Thankfully, this is a good one.
The entire interior, whilst updated in places (as you would expect), does seem faithful to the original design. It will never be a ‘time capsule’ as this has been a much-loved family home. But nothing has changed radically, and much care has been taken to maintain the character.
Love the frontage and porch area, not to mention the heavily-glazed interior, the ground floor sliding door, the minimal kitchen, the similarly subtle bathroom, vaulted ceilings, clean finish, and clever sightlines throughout.
Understated, and all the better for it. Of course, if you want to add retro splashes of colour, that’s fine. But it works well as it is.
Regarding the layout, the ground floor comprises the entrance hall, which leads to the reception room, an open-plan kitchen-diner, a study and the downstairs cloakroom. Upstairs you will find three bedrooms and the family bathroom.
Externally the house overlooks the green at the front, with a south-west facing rear garden which has a shed and a large, contemporary summerhouse to the rear. You also get a garage, which is located in a separate area.
As I said, access to all the communal greenery surrounding the estate, as well as the tennis court too. A lovely place to live.
If you see yourself living here, the house is now on the market, with a guide price of £700.000.
Images and details courtesy of Jackie Quinn. For more details and to make an enquiry, please visit the website.
