College Court: the story of our home

College Court has been home to generations of Hammersmith residents for more than a century. Built around 1900 in the grounds of a Georgian house, the flats have survived wartime bombing, restoration and changes in ownership. Their story takes us from a Hammersmith of large houses and gardens to the busy neighbourhood we know today. Hammersmith Odeon Conservation Area profile, p. 9 onwards

Before the flats: College House

Before College Court was built, the land formed part of the grounds of College House. This earlier house appears to be where our building gets its name.

One of its residents was Sir John Philippart, a military writer who helped revive the English Order of St John and establish the institution that became West London Hospital. A directory places him at College House in 1867, and his biography records that he died there in 1874. 1867 directory; Dictionary of National Biography

Building College Court: the rules of 1900

A surviving Land Registry record gives us a glimpse of how the site was developed. It preserves rules from a property transfer dated 30 October 1900, between Charles Henry Bennett and William Moss. Bennett kept the neighbouring land to the west, while Moss agreed to restrictions on what could be built and how the site could be used.[1]

The rules covered everything from the boundary wall to the types of business allowed. An eight-foot brick wall had to separate the development from College House, with Moss and future owners responsible for its upkeep. Flats, private houses, shops and offices were allowed, but premises selling alcohol were banned. Temporary buildings could only be used for construction work, and no new access rights could be created through to Bennett’s adjoining property.[1]

There was also a minimum building budget: at least £5,000 in materials and labour for each “messuage”, the property term used in the document. That figure covered construction alone. Together, these conditions suggest that the intention was to create substantial buildings and protect the neighbouring property.[1]

The building we recognise today

The council’s conservation profile describes College Court as:

“a large impressive group of five adjoining mansion blocks”

Standing at the corner of Queen Caroline Street and Sussex Place, the blocks mark the north-western entrance to the conservation area. The council dates their construction to 1897–1900. Their brown brickwork, stone detailing, tall chimneys and steep slate roofs give the building much of its character, along with the distinctive eight-sided corner turret. Council conservation profile, p. 9 onwards, paragraph 5.30

Look up at the Sussex Place frontage and you can see the more elaborate side of the design: projecting stone windows, decorative gables and open galleries supported by columns, known as loggias. At the entrances, steps lead to rounded stone porches supported by clusters of small columns. The profile records that much of the original ironwork around the basements and third-floor balconies survives. Council conservation profile, paragraph 5.31; Julia Upton’s article on College Court

There are still a few puzzles about how College Court took shape. The October 1900 rules refer to buildings still to be erected and allow no more than four “messuages”, while the council describes five blocks. The original plans and building records may help explain this difference. We have yet to establish who the architect was or exactly how construction progressed.[1] Hammersmith Odeon Conservation Area profile, p. 9 onwards

People who called College Court home

Records offer a few glimpses of earlier neighbours. A biography of former England goalkeeper John Hawtrey places him and his wife Emma at 18 College Court Mansions in the 1911 census. By then, he was working as a journalist. A guide to local musicians also links Leo McCormack to number 25 in the 1930s. England Football Online; Sampson Low’s local musicians guide

Wartime damage and restoration

On 3 December 1940, bombing damaged the rear of College Court and the Queen Caroline Street frontage. Substantial restoration was needed. Two photographs preserved in the Paton Collection at Orleans House Gallery show bomb damage along Queen Caroline Street. Hammersmith Odeon Conservation Area profile, p. 9 onwards; bomb damage at the front of College Court; bomb damage at the rear of College Court

Council ownership and later changes

The Land Registry records the council as owner in an entry dated 24 January 1974. We still need to establish the exact purchase date and the story behind the acquisition.[1]

The building’s appearance changed too. The council’s profile records that, since 1973, three of the open galleries had been removed, along with the railing and supporting brackets around the turret’s third-floor balcony. Two balconies also had simpler replacement railings. The council considered that these changes had reduced the building’s architectural quality and encouraged restoring the missing details. The account does not say who authorised the alterations. Hammersmith Odeon Conservation Area profile, p. 9 onwards

In March 1991, College Court became part of the newly designated Hammersmith Odeon Conservation Area. The council also identifies the blocks as locally listed Buildings of Merit, recognising their contribution to the area’s character. Hammersmith Odeon Conservation Area profile, p. 9 onwards

Share your part of the story

Buildings are only part of College Court’s history. The memories of people who have lived here can tell us about everyday life, neighbours and changes over the years.

Do you have old photographs, letters, tenancy papers or a memory to share? Whether you have lived here for decades or have recently moved in, we would love to hear from you. Please get in touch with the College Court Tenants’ and Residents’ Association and help us build a fuller picture of our home’s history.

Sources

Links throughout this history lead to the published sources. The council’s Hammersmith Odeon Conservation Area profile, page 9 onwards, includes its account of College Court in paragraphs 5.30–5.32. Julia Upton’s article also reproduces the council’s description. The short quotation above is from paragraph 5.30. The Land Registry document supplied for this history is described below.

[1] Documentary source: HM Land Registry, title LN44157, official copy issued 23 January 2017, printed register pages 1–2. This extract reproduces restrictive covenants from the conveyance of 30 October 1900; it is not the complete original deed and does not include its plan.