Repton & Claybury Park – A Brief Recent History

 

Repton Park

 

Claybury Hospital occupied 236 acres on a ridge close to the northern boundary of Redbridge. The hospital buildings completed in 1893 and designed by G.T. Hine, were built in the grounds of Claybury Hall, a mansion built in 1785. The hospital was planned on an echelon style clustered around a series of courtyards and set in Humphrey Repton designed parkland. The grounds included remnants of a valuable ancient woodland and orchard.

 

With the Care in the Community Programme and the inevitable decline in patient numbers from its peak of 4,000 patients, Claybury faced a difficult future. The NHS pressed for extensive demolition and maximum new build, the Local Planning Authority and English Heritage for maximum retention of the historic buildings and restriction of new build to the existing footprint, in accordance with the Green Belt allocation in the Unitary Development Plan.

 

A 60 day Public Inquiry was held in 1997 and the Council/English Heritage position was accepted. Meanwhile, the buildings continued to fall into extensive disrepair, having suffered from years of neglect.

 

Following the Secretary of State’s decision, the Council entered into discussions with Crest Nicholson PLC who took up the opportunity to create a new community, focussed upon restoration of much of the former hospital buildings but also providing over 400 new homes. The initial task was to produce a Master Plan for the site that involved retention of the echelon buildings and clearance of the ‘inner core’ service buildings.

 

A boulevard was created within this ‘inner core’ by replacing the service buildings with three-storey houses and planting of mature trees, and the creation of new squares. The boulevard terminated at a notable landmark (the water tower) and a new piazza in front of the former recreation hall and chapel. Other key landmarks were retained so as to punctuate vistas and views across open parkland and internal squares.

 

The principal access into the site was taken along its original alignment to the head of the boulevard, resurfaced with bound gravel and traditional lighting standards installed.

 

The open space was defined into a number of categories beyond the space immediately around the buildings, including the former sports field, which was proposed as amenity space to be used in association with the converted buildings: the Repton parkland, open grassland and ancient woodland.

 

Claybury Hall was proposed for thorough restoration and extension and further enabling development in a series of five pockets of development dispersed around the former grounds. They were deliberately designed to contrast with the strong focus of buildings around the central boulevard area in order to accentuate their presence in the neighbourhood.

 

The Master Plan was accompanied by detailed drawings of the early phases of both conversion and new build. A lengthy and detailed Section 106 undertaking was negotiated between the Council and Crest Homes.

 

The Repton Park development has subsequently been carried out. The ward blocks and Claybury Hall have been converted to residential use. A total of 400+ units have been provided and constitutes a valuable contribution to meeting local housing allocation as well as meeting key historic building and Green Belt policy objectives

 

The worst of 100 years of institutional ‘alterations’ has been removed and new viable uses have been found for the ‘collegiate’ buildings of the water tower, recreation hall and chapel without losing their key historic qualities. The chapel has been converted to a swimming pool and the recreation hall to a gym open to public membership.

 

Repton Park, a gated village community, is a very special place to live. The amenity space around the historic buildings is of exceptional quality and complements the high quality restoration of the former hospital buildings

 

Images of Repton Park after the hospital was converted to residential homes by Crest Nicholson

 

       

 

Claybury Park

 

A key aspect of the development at Repton Park is Claybury Park, with its 104 acres - which is adjacent to Repton Park.

 

Claybury Park has now been restored and adopted by the London Borough of Redbridge and is thought to be the largest new public park in London for a century, incorporating cycleways, paths and a wide variety of spaces from formal parkland to ancient woodland, grassland and wetlands.

 

Conservation Area

 

In December, 2005 the historic and architectural uniqueness of Repton & Claybury Park was recognised, by the London Borough of Redbridge, when both locations were designated approved Conservation Areas.

 

 

Compiled by Tom Sharpe

Chair

Repton Park Residents Association

March, 2006