Contents
Highgate is a lovely, leafy part of London, with plenty of character and charm.
And it’s home to one of the most intriguing clusters of housing anywhere in the capital.
Set around a small green, the Village is a community of homes considered one of London’s first gated developments.
What’s most striking about this place is the Gothic Revival architecture, where everything about the place has been considered, from the iron entrance gate to the gorgeous stonework, stone gargoyles and statues, roofing, and wooden fencing.
It’s a masterpiece of design.
Living close to Richmond and seeing the almshouses there, we initially thought this was also an almshouse, but that’s not the case.
The only link is a style reminiscent of almshouses.
A Brief History
The village was designed by Henry Astley Darbishire and completed in 1865.
It was commissioned by a philanthropist called Baroness Angela Burdett-Coutts, whose surname you may recognise.
She was the granddaughter of Thomas Coutts, founder of Coutts & Co. banking house.
This meant she wasn’t shy of a bob or two because she inherited part of the Coutts estate, rocketing her to become the second richest female in Britain, after Queen Victoria.
The Baroness inherited her wealth in 1837 and became one of Victorian Britain’s most generous benefactors, funding ragged schools and founding the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), both of which are still in operation today.
The village wasn’t a philanthropic venture, though.
According to Historic England, the group of 12 cottages “…was planned as a group of model housing that would improve the landscape around her own estate. The houses were rented out to wealthy people and not provided for the Baroness’s estate workers or Coutts Bank clerks.”
In 1921, the village was bought by its tenants and was Grade II* listed in 1954.
Can You Go In, and Is It Worth Visiting?
Disappointingly, no, you cannot enter.
The land is privately owned, and a gate in the fancy archway controls access.
However, you have a lovely view of the house on the other side of the green from that gate.
If the gate is open, you should respect the resident’s privacy and keep out.
Because you can’t go in and there isn’t a huge amount to see other than the gatehouse, the journey isn’t worth it if you are going to see the village exclusively, unless you live just a walk away.
However, it’s right next to Highgate Cemetery, which is London’s most interesting cemetery (and one of the Magnificent Seven Cemeteries), and Hampstead Heath isn’t far away, either.
So, if you are going to tie in a visit to the cemetery and a walk around the Heath, then it’s worth passing by.
There’s also an example of London’s Brutalist architecture just up the hill called Whittington Estate that you can walk through, if Brutalist architecture is your thing.
Visitor Information
๐ 2 Holly Village, London, N6 6QJ
๐ Closed to the public
Gallery
To keep up with our travels, please subscribe to our mailing list. We won’t spam you; we’ll only contact you with exciting news and new stuff! Enter your email in the box below and hit subscribe!
