Marlborough Mansions, Cannon Hill

Image: © Natasha Ceridwen de Chroustchoff Taken: 6 Jan 2009

Cannon Hill runs between Finchley Road and West End Lane, and is lined by imposing mansion flats. They were built in 1898 by Edward Jarvis Cave and designed by architects Edward Boehmer and Percy Gibbs, who were experienced at building mansion flats on the continental model. Initially people were dubious about the health and security of flats such as these but their solid construction and impressive appearance soon made them popular residences for a 'superior class' of person in comfortable circumstances, and with several servants (to make and clean out the fires: note the chimneys!) Sir Adrian Boult, Sir William Coldstream and Nigel Balchin all lived at Marlborough Mansions, along with titled, professional and business types. The flats survived bombing during the war and the dwellers did not move out. My own childhood memory of visiting my aunt in a first floor flat here in the 50s includes the black and white tiled entrance hall, the clanking lift, the huge rooms, the tiny balcony, wall-to-wall carpeting, and an external refuse lift that worked via a pulley outside the scullery window.

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