The ACS is based in the Catford and Hither Green Corbett estate, but of course there are a number of other Corbett Estates in London. The very first one was started by Archibald’s father Thomas in 1877 in Forest Gate, east London, and it was to there that a five-strong group of ACS Committee members travelled last Tuesday. Corbett called his new estate ‘Woodgrange’ after the 110 acre farm he had purchased to build the houses on.

We were hosted by local historian John Walker and his wife Sandra, who not only gave us a tour of their lovely Victorian (Corbett) Villa, and of the Estate itself, but also laid on a super lunch.

We visited another resident, George Myronidis, who had done a huge amount of work renovating his own Villa, reviving many original features including the ironwork that held up the original exterior glass canopy that Corbett senior based on local railway architecture.

It was good to be able to forge closer links with another Corbett estate, and we have invited the ‘Woodgrangers’ for a reciprocal visit later this year.
Thanks to Nick Hervey for doing all the driving!