Greenstead

The Greenstead estate, built from the '50s to the '70s in the north-east of Colchester, has got a lot going for it. One would question, in these less utopian days, the wisdom of creating such a large area of social housing, but – around the central area, at least – it looks as though careful thought had gone in to the way buildings, vistas and green space work with one another. I suspect the beneficial influence of Gordon Cullen in many parts. As you'd expect with such a project, most of the houses and flats are much of a muchness architecturally but the arrangements of shape, scale, orientation and intervening space keep monotony at bay. A few buildings to mention: Community Centre, the Catholic church and the library. Oh, and of course, St Andrews, which is a bit older. See more pics. For location, see map, waypoint 12.

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