SPAN

The development company Span built 30 housing estates between 1948 and 1984. In his book The Spirit of Span Housing, James Strike says: “Span housing was the inspiration of two young men, who, during the 1930s, met as architectural students at the Regent Street Polytechnic. Eric Lyons and Geoffrey Townsend both had a keen interest in modern architecture… They believed that there was a market for well-designed houses in carefully designed landscapes for the sort of people who recognised good design when they saw it – and they were right.”

In 2006, Span housing was the subject of an exhibition at the RIBA, and the accompanying book, entitled Eric Lyons & Span (ed Barbara Simms), gives a comprehensive survey of its history. “The work of the architect Eric Lyons,” it states, “is as well-loved now as it was vibrantly successful when first constructed. Built almost entirely for Span Developments, its mission was to provide an affordable environment ‘that gave people a lift’.”

TEMPLEMERE – A Brief History

Templemere stands on land which formed part of Oatlands Chase surrounding the Royal palace at Oatlands in Tudor times.

In 1669, when Queen Henriette, widow of Charles II died, the ruined palace and its land reverted to the Crown. It passed through several royal hands including the 7th Earl of Lincoln who built Oatlands House on the site (now the Oatlands Park Hotel).

In 1730, following the death of his father and elder brother, Henry Pelham-Clinton became the 9th Earl of Lincoln and, in 1768, became the 2nd Duke of Newcastle under Lyme.

The grounds were altered for the new Duke by landscape architect William Kent to include a circular temple above the original Broadwater lake, based on the Temple of Vesta at Tivoli.

The Oatlands Estate was subsequently bought by the Duke of York, son of George III, but when he died later owners sold the land off in various lots. Large houses were built on each lot, on the ridge overlooking the Broadwater, each with extensive grounds. The 19th century Templemere house incorporated the Temple of Vesta.

The house and the temple were still intact in 1928, when it came up for auction by Hamptons and Sons and some time later, the whole of the current Templemere estate came into the ownership of Donald Wilson and later Robert and Ruby Wilson. In March 1961 they sold it to SRL Investments Ltd, who through Span Developments created the present estate.