Peter Aldington's three village houses (The Turn, Middle Turn, Turn End) in Haddenham, Buckinghamshire...
Turn End Trust
was established in 1998 to promote the integration of building and garden design; enable public access to this and other examples; and, after bequest by the Aldingtons, to conserve and maintain Turn End, its garden and associated buildings. Until recently, Turn End and its garden have been open occasionally for private visits by specialist groups. In the past few years, Turn End Trust has sought to extend access to a wider range of visitors by hosting a number of public events relating to aspects of the house and garden. The Trust has also launched a Friends Scheme, aiming to increase opportunities for public appreciation of the site, and to create networks of supporters and volunteers across the community to carry it into the future.
Turn End House
is considered one of the major creations of architect Peter Aldington, OBE. The house is one of a cluster of three, all listed at Grade 2*, designed and built by Peter with his wife Margaret between 1964-67. Constructed from concrete, pine and glass, Turn End reflects many features of the local vernacular architecture of the village – clustered housing oriented towards the sun, multiple single pitched roofs, low eaves, weatherboarding, and white-walled gardens echoing local tile-topped wychert, and thus nestles seamlessly into the heart of the village. All three houses have a surprisingly small footprint but their high sloping ceilings, expansive use of glass and interior courtyards give an unexpected sense of space. The design and layout of Turn End thus speaks volumes to the environmental and community concerns of the 21st century, and is of considerable interest to architects, designers and planners.
Turn End Garden
was created by Peter as a natural extension to the house. It is rich in unexpected angles, nooks, vistas, and made up of a variety of distinct styles. In December 2017, Historic England added Turn End’s garden to the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England and listed it at Grade II. Turn End is one of only two post war examples where both the house and garden are listed by Historic England. It is also home to two artists’ studios. Tucked into the heart of the village, the garden has become a source of inspiration for landscape designers and horticulturists, as well as amateur gardeners. As an ensemble, the house and garden are widely regarded as a prime example of the blend between architectural and landscape design.
Peter Aldington
Peter’s work has brought him the greatest number of listed buildings of any living architect, and led to awards and extensive publicity. Visitors come from across the UK, Europe, and around the world, many having become architects or landscape designers as a result of listening to Peter or seeing his work.