Far reaching views from the rooftop of Block A at Courtyards Gardens, Oxted.
It has been six months since I last had the pleasure of photographing Courtyard Gardens, the former home of the gasholder here in Oxted, Surrey and what a tremendous change I encountered.
This is blog number 15 and forms part of a series of ongoing blogs documenting the gasholder before demolition, during demolition at the start of 2019, and during the building process which started in the Spring of 2019. Completion of the 111 high-end one, two and three-bedroom apartments and penthouses is scheduled for Summer 2021 by St William part of the Berkeley Group.
When entering the top of Snatts Hill from the A25 you can’t help but notice the emerging levels of Block A, I’m told the concrete frame is nearly complete with some final upstands left to pour on the roof. The view from the top of the building is spectacular – overlooking the far-reaching views of the North Downs and above the rooftops of the town.
The comparison of the two photographs below shows the view from the top of Snatts Hill in August 2018 on the left and August 2020 on the right. Isn’t it strange how quickly we forget how imposing and grand the gasholder once was, after all, it was part of the landscape of Oxted for over 50 years
My site visit took place on Monday 17 August, the photographs shown on this blog tell more of the unfolding story with captions on each image - (smartphone view in landscape format to enable captions). I’m going to start with the model below of Courtyard Gardens so we can get our bearings, I often refer to it before going on-site – read on to find out more…
A model of Courtyard Gardens housing development can be found at Robert Leech Estate Agents on Station Road East, Oxted opposite the site.
Block A shown above on the right, with Block B adjoining via a walkway is shown back centre. Block C is separate from Blocks A & B and is shown on the left.
The entrance to Blocks A & B is via Station Road East – seen in the foreground of the model. Block C is accessed via the entrance on the far left of the model, next to Johnsdale, where the former car park entrance once stood – all set beautifully within landscaped gardens. Each apartment has a balcony or terrace to enjoy the outside space.
The build so far, I’m told Block B is at level 3 and Block C is progressing to level 2. Brickwork, façade and dry lining have commenced on Block A whilst mechanical and electrical works are underway in all blocks.
The brick work on the exterior is starting to take shape, there are three different finishes to give Courtyard Gardens a unique look and feel.
I hope you have enjoyed seeing the progress of the development as much as I have, it’s been lovely to share this with you.
I’ll be back next month with more photographs to share with you from my September site visit.
To read the blog from February please click here and to read other previous blogs these can be found on the ‘Featured’ blogs below by using the arrows on the right to scroll through the past 30 blogs, this includes the other 14 gas holder blogs.
Thank you.
Stella
