Dawson Heights Property Exclusive

[willma]

When I was looking to buy a flat in the area, one estate agent told me that these two blocks are known as 'the battleships' as when you look at them from a distance it looks like two ships facing each other with funnels pointing out from the tops of them. Quite a good comparison I thought.

[Keef]

Jah Lush Wrote:

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> Yes, Keef, Malcolm. Very sad. It was an accident.

> I'll tell you about it on Friday at the drinks.

Yes very sad, and yes do!

I'll be sure to tell my old man as well, because I think he's always believed he jumped. They weren't exactly great mates, but think they played a bit of golf, or maybe just drunk in the same circle...

[Jeremy]

ClareC Wrote:

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> Are the Dawson Heights flats empty then? Does

> anybody know what is happening to the flats

> opposite Sainsbury's? I think they look really

> nice, just unkept.....

The Dog Kennel Hill estate... yes, the buildings are quite nice. There's supposed to be some sort of redevelopment project going on, but I have yet to see any concrete evidence of this.

[Keef]

More pics of the view

 

[Marmora Man]

Mark Wrote:

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> Let's not forget that the East Dulwich Postcards

> showed the view from up there:

>

> http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/images/eas

> t-dulwich-postcards.jpg

Nor that these great cards are being distributed around East Dulwich by my son (only 150 to go Mark, last post tomorrow) to publicise EDF.

[Marmora Man]

I've also heard about them resembling battleships - was also told that they won an architecural award when built - any truth in that? On the whole, despite certain brutalist tendency I like them - tho' better at night.

Don't know if anyone has watched the programme "The Tower" on BBC2 (I think). Old council tower block in Deptford with fabulous views across and up / down the Thames taken over by private company, tarted up and sold on to private leaseholders. Could this be the plan for Dawson Heights?

[Bellenden Jo]

Always referred to these flats as "the ship flats" since I was a wee girl (which is quite a while ago now!)

[Ko]

I didn't like Dawson Heights when I first moved to the area, but now love it - its a facinating building, very unusual. When you see it as you come down Dog Kennel Hill on the bus, you know you're home :))

[Parker's Folly]

I'm amazed that no one has commented on how great the view over London is from the hillside just below the estate itself. I walk there often and hardly ever see anyone around, except the occasional dogwalker. Either people just don't know about it, or are put off by the thought of walking near an estate for some reason. In my opinion the views are better than those from Hampstead or Highgate by far - you have a panoramic view of the whole London skyline, stretching from Millinium Dome, Canary Wharf, the City, St Pauls, BT tower, Houses of Parliament to the Battersea Power Station, you name it. On a clear day you can even see the Wembley Arch and Harrow. And best of all, you don't have 1,000 tourists tossing frisbees over your head either....

[wee quinnie]

Parkers Folly - you are spot on, about the view - I walk up there myself sometimes, but I am always on the look out for dog poo.

[Administrator]

Parker's Folly Wrote:

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> I'm amazed that no one has commented on how great

> the view over London is from the hillside just

> below the estate itself.

The East Dulwich Postcards showed the view from that exact point, as mentioned earlier

[Mark]

Parker's Folly Wrote:

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> I'm amazed that no one has commented on how great

> the view over London is from the hillside just

> below the estate itself.

The East Dulwich Postcards showed the view from that exact point, as mentioned earlier :)

[Brendan]

I have often thought that the view must be amazing from the flats on the top floor.

[Klaus]

I was told by someone who lives close to the estate that it's suffering from subsidence problems (something to do with them being built on the spoils of the second Blackwall tunnel) and the council can't sell them until they've sorted the problem. Could be nonsense though.

[Incitatus]

Candy & Candy bidding for Dawson Heights, now that has to be a wind up, I can see their portfolio strap line now, 'Mayfair, Chelsea, Monaco, Dulwich'.

The Candy brothers are responsible for the super luxury development of Richard Rogers One Hyde Park on the old site of Bowater House (IMHO a far nicer building).

If you believe the hype, once it's built the flats will cost between ?4m and ?80m EACH, next doors Mandarin Oriental Hotel will provide a concierge service.

The brothers are also doing the same at the old Chelsea Barracks, which they paid ?900m for, oh and they already hold the ?27m record for selling a single London flat.

Now I now prices are getting steep round these parts, but really.

[macroban]

Part of Candy & Candy's lomg-term strategic plan to manage global warming when their existing London properties are under 60 feet of sea.

[Brendan]

Seen this? http://www.dawsonshill.org.uk/dawsonshilltrustnaturetrail.htm

It fails to mention the dirty great flat blocks bang in the middle of it.

[dulwichmum]

Wow Brendan. What a terrific map.

[Keef]

Brendan Wrote:

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> It fails to mention the dirty great flat blocks

> bang in the middle of it.

That's a lovelt map. To be fair, it does say "Ladlands flats Dawson's Heights Estate" where the flats would be, but to actually draw them would have people complaining that it ruined the view ;-)

[lozzyloz]

What a brilliant map! Where's it from? I lived in the shadow of Dawsons Heights and never realised there was a Bronze Age burial mound close by and always wondered where Donkey Alley got it's name from? Anything else in the archives Brendan?

[Brendan]

I got the map from this page (which appears to not have been updated since 2004) www.dawsonshill.org.uk

I also found this pretty interesting http://www.dulwichsociety.org.uk/newsletter/200603-24-26.shtml from an old Dulwich Society newsletter.

[Jah Lush]

"Once known as Primrose Hill"...Good grief, now there's posh.

[lozzyloz]

Great read, thanks! Fascinating history.