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Oliver Close

Block details

Number of dwellings Number of storeys
James Collins Tower 100 22
Clifford Hicks Tower 100 22
Arthur Punshon Tower 100 22

three 22-storey blocks containing 300 dwellings

Agents

Building contractor:
Wates

Events

Committee approval date:
1963
Construction start date:
1964
Construction completion date:
1966
Significant alterations/demolition, etc.:
Since demolished

Local authority

Original commissioning authority:
Leyton Municipal Borough Council
Original location authority:
Leyton Municipal Borough Council
Present day authority:
Waltham Forest London Borough Council
View of 22-storey towers on Oliver Close Estate
1988
View of 22-storey towers on Oliver Close Estate
View of 22-storey towers on Oliver Close Estate
1988
View of 22-storey towers on Oliver Close Estate
View of James Collins Tower and Arthur Punshon Tower
1988
View of James Collins Tower and Arthur Punshon Tower
Estate name(s): 
Oliver Close Estate
Habitation date(s): 
Clifford Hicks Tower officially opened on 4 September 1965 by Mayor of Waltham Forest (G.S. Bentley)

Recent comments

  • Oliver Close and Boundary Road Estates in Waltham Forest

    Submitted by Lorna on Thursday, April 20, 2017 - 00:43.

    Hello,

    I am trying to find out more information about the tower blocks on both these estates between the mid 1960s-2000s I believe there were a total of 10 of these style blocks in the whole of Waltham Forest and I want to know more about the history of them, who designed them, how they were built and why they were demolished. I would also like to obtain both external AND internal photos if they exist Any information you are able to provide or any other direction you could point me in would be most helpful and very much appreciated.

    Many thanks.

    Kind Regards
    Lorna

  • Oliver Close and Boundary Road Estates in Waltham Forest

    Submitted by Hannah on Monday, April 24, 2017 - 13:29.

    Hi Lorna, 

    Thanks for getting in touch. The Oliver Close Estate had five 22-storey blocks built in two stages. Stage 1 comprised Arthur Punshion, Clifford Hicks and James Collins Towers which were built about 1963-65. Stage 2 comprised Terrence Messenger and Stanley Horstead Towers built about 1967. They were all built on a package deal basis by Wates and were of pre-cast concrete design influenced by the London County Council's Warwick Crescent development. We think all five were demolished about 1997 shortly after they were taken over by the Waltham Forest Housing Action Trust. As for why, you can have a look at this discussion in the House of Lords from 1991 referring to the estate for clues: http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/lords/1991/dec/05/waltham-forest-hous...

    The other towers of similar design and construction seem to have been part of the Cambridge Road redevelopment area (which I think was also called Boundary Road Estate). It had three blocks called Ernest Richards, James Dixon and Walter Savills Towers, built about 1965-68 and demolished in about 2000. 

    That brings us to 8. I found one other block in our archive in Waltham Forest that looks to be of similar design - John Drinkwater Tower (also 22 storeys) which was also demolished about 2000. We have it as part of the Oliver Close Estate, but it may have been part of the Leyton Grange Estate and was possibly built a bit later than the others. http://www.towerblock.eca.ed.ac.uk/development/hutchison-house-site

    We only have the photos that are currenty on the database for the sites. You could search on flickr as you sometimes find photos that way and I can put up something on our twitter/facebook to see if it gets any responses for you as we're just looking at how we can develop the archive with links to more material. If you want to know more detailed information about the blocks then there are a few references under each of the sites on the database to journal/magazine articles and I think that the Vestry House Museum might have some older photos showing construction etc.

    Best of luck with your research.

  • James Collins Tower

    Submitted by Donna on Thursday, June 15, 2017 - 20:26.

    Did you get any other responses?

  • James Collins Tower

    Submitted by Hannah on Sunday, June 25, 2017 - 22:04.

    Hi Donna, All comments that we have received are shown here. If you have any information that would be useful you can add here or send us an email. Thanks, Hannah.

  • St Michael's Tower

    Submitted by Katherine on Monday, October 1, 2018 - 21:20.

    Hi Lorna, my husband lived in one of these blocks and I believe some of the family photos are taken inside. They are family snapshots, which show little of the architecture, however. It would be great to know your interest as I'm also researching a project which includes the tower blocks in Waltham Forest. Thanks

  • Waltham Forest former housing estates in Leyton Oliver Road

    Submitted by Ajay on Friday, October 13, 2017 - 02:12.

    The housing estates in Oliver close Boundary road Gosport road and Browning road were all of the same design and where built in 4 different locations in the London borough of Waltham Forest between 1964-1969 and have now all been demolished from 1995-2001

  • Waltham Forest former housing estates

    Submitted by Ajay on Friday, October 13, 2017 - 19:18.

    The Oliver close estate in Leyton east London was a complex of 5 tower blocks of 20 residential floors and 100 flats in each building
    Clifford Hicks Tower 1965-1995
    James Collins Tower 1965-1996
    Arthur Punshion Tower 1966-1998
    Stanly Horstead Tower 1967-2000
    Terrence Messenger Tower 1967-2001

    Cambridge road estate AKA Boundary road estate Walthamstow east London was a complex of 3 tower blocks of 20 residential floors with 100 flats in each building
    James Dixson Tower 1968-1995
    Ernest Richards Tower 1969-1998
    Walter Savills Tower 1968-2000

    Gosport road estate was a complex of one 20 storey tower block and a 6 storey block of masionette
    St Micheal Tower 1967-1997
    Dyke Court 1970-1997

    Browning road complex Leytonstone was a single 20 storey tower block with 100 residential flats
    John Drinkwater Tower 1967-1998

    The housing estates in Oliver close,Boundary road,Gosport road and Browning road were all of the same design and were built in 4 different locations in the London borough of Waltham Forest between 1964-1969 and have now all bee demolished from 1995- 2001

    There were also other housing estates in this borough witch have been demolished as well
    Livingston Tower. Leyton Green
    Whitebeam Tower Hilyfields estate Walthamstow
    Beaumont Road estate
    All Saints Tower 1966-2011
    St Paul's Tower 1966- 2011
    St Catherine's Tower 1965-2010
    Chingford Hall estate
    St Fabian Tower 1970-2002
    St Francis Tower 1970-2000
    St Albans Tower 1970-2001
    Cathall Road estate
    Hornbeam Tower 1971-2002
    Redwood Tower 1970-2002

  • Stairwell collapse

    Submitted by Elaine King on Saturday, June 16, 2018 - 15:57.

    I used to live on corner of Oliver Close. Amongst family photos i recently found one of 10 floors landings and stairs collapse during construction. Family business was A J Bradick Removals and Haulage.