Description

CAMDEN

TQ2683NW AINSWORTH WAY
798-1/71/1403 Nos.1-21 (Consecutive)
18/08/93 (including A and B to each number)

II*

See under: Alexandra Road Estate including walls, ramps &
steps ROWLEY WAY.

CAMDEN

TQ2683NW ROWLEY WAY
798-1/71/1403 Nos.4-119 (Consecutive)
18/08/93 (incl. A & B to each number on S
side, and A-K to each number on N
side)

II*

See under: Alexandra Road Estate including walls, ramps &
steps ROWLEY WAY.

CAMDEN

TQ2683NW ROWLEY WAY
798-1/71/1403 Community Centre and Boiler House to
18/08/93 Alexandra Road Estate

II*

See under: Alexandra Road Estate including walls, ramps &
steps ROWLEY WAY.

CAMDEN

TQ2683NW ROWLEY WAY
798-1/71/1403 Alexandra Road Estate including
18/08/93 walls, ramps & steps
(Formerly Listed as:
ROWLEY WAY/ AINSWORTH WAY
Alexandra Rd Est inc. Rowley Way,
Ainsworth Way and walls, ramps,
steps)

II*

Includes: Community Centre and Boiler House to Alexandra Road
Estate ROWLEY WAY.
Includes: Nos.4-119 (incl. A & B to each number on S side, and
A-K to each number on N side) ROWLEY WAY.
Includes: Nos.1-21 (including A and B to each number)
AINSWORTH WAY.
Housing estate. Designed 1968; built 1972-78. Designed by
Neave Brown of Camden Architects' Department. Site-cast
board-marked white, unpainted reinforced concrete. Flat roofs.
Three parallel east-west blocks, the northern forming an
acoustic wall to shield the estate from the adjacent railway
line. The northern pair of blocks facing in towards the
pedestrian street Rowley Way, and organised with stepped
elevations facing in towards Rowley Way, each level providing
private outdoor areas for every home.
EXTERIOR: block A is of 7 storeys, Block B of 4 storeys. To
the south of Rowley Way are play areas and a public park,
separated by concrete walls and banks and by planting into a
sequence of small spaces with built-in seating. Attached to
the south is Ainsworth Way comprising 3 linked rows of
3-storey terraced houses. Block A, Rowley Way comprises
2-storey, 2-bed flats at the top and 2-storey, 3-bed flats at
the bottom with 3 layers of single storey 1-bed flats between.
Block B comprises 4 storeys of 2 and 3-bed maisonettes. There
are garages beneath Block A and Rowley Way itself, which is
paved in red terracotta blocks. Balconies to Blocks A and B
have thick reinforced concrete handrails with glass panels
beneath; floor to ceiling glazing to Rowley Way with thick
dark-stained window frames. Ainsworth Way houses each comprise
1 bay, with paired entrances; top storey set back providing
roof terrace with floor to ceiling windows and heavy
reinforced concrete balustrade with glass panels beneath.
Thick timber windows. Ground floor slightly raised over
garages.
Community centre is attached to the east of Ainsworth Way and
Rowley Way, and has the boiler house below, with its tall
3-shafted metal chimney. The community centre is on 1 level,
and of an irregular, triangular plan; horizontal strip windows
and roof terrace. To north and west are attached ramps and
staircases, including East Bridge and West Bridge.
To the west also attached to Ainsworth Way housing is the play
area and public park; play areas of irregular shape at several
levels, linked by ramps and steps and enclosed and contained
by robust board marked concrete walls and planting boxes,
often diagonally set, sometimes curved and some with inset
seats.
INTERIORS not inspected.
SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: the 3 blocks which comprise Ainsworth Way
are linked by low reinforced concrete walls, enclosing
built-in seating areas; there is a further seating area
attached to the west of Block B Rowley Way, with a raised
circular section paved with granite sets and a lower
rectangular section.
(Architectural Review: August 1979; Architecture and Urbanism:
November 1980; New York Times: 3 December, 1978).

Listing NGR: TQ2605683913

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Alexandra Road Estate at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q4720740

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets
• 
  Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
• 
  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey