First Steps
Lovell, Abbot and Tanner
Historical Analysis Tools

Y.J. Lovell & Son was founded by Young James Lovell (1842-1911), who took over an existing building firm in Marlow in 1876. His son Clifford Percy Lovell encouraged him to establish a branch office and builder’s yard at Marsham Lane, Gerrards Cross, in 1906 in order to get into the quality housing market. A house called ‘Marlow Cottage’ was built next to the offices in Marsham Lane for the works manager, William Blake. Y.J. Lovell & Son also had an office at Gerrards Cross Station, from which materials were moved by horse and cart directly to local building sites.

After the death of Young James Lovell, in 1911, the business was carried on by C.P. Lovell, who lived at Belma, (now ‘Ben More’) Oak End Way. His son Peter Lovell also entered the business and lived at ‘Montrose’, Marsham Way. The firm built over 70 large detached houses in Gerrards Cross between 1906 and 1920. In 1923, C. P. Lovell purchased part of the Woodhill Estate from the executors of Col William Le Poer Trench. The land was divided into 81 building plots, most of which were developed speculatively by Y.J. Lovell & Son.

Many of the Lovell houses were designed by Douglas Tanner and A.L. Abbott, the firm’s favoured architects. Each year from 1923-1938, a Lovell house featured in the Daily Mail Ideal Home Exhibition. The firm had to erect the house at Olympia in only three weeks. After the three-week run of the exhibition, it had to be demolished and cleared within one week.

Abbott
A.L. Abbott was born in 1890. He worked for various local authorities in the construction of over 1,000 council houses. He later became a popular exponent of ‘stock-broker tudor’ architecture, designing over 400 individual homes, restorations and alterations, with contract values ranging from £2,000 to £30,000.

His earliest work in Gerrards Cross is 'Nexdaw', now known as 'Chiltern House', 34 Orchehill Avenue, built in 1922 for S.L. Townsend-Greene. He later went into partnership with Douglas Tanner, who probably introduced him to Y.J. Lovell & Son. The partners were heavily involved in the Ideal Home Exhibition designs in the 1930s. Abbott designed at least four of the Lovell houses on the Woodhill Estate, the best being 'The Bumbles', 8 Woodhill Avenue, built by Y.J. Lovell & Son in 1935. He designed 'Olde Tyles', 22, Camp Road , in 1936. Abbott also designed factories and research laboratories and worked for the Ministry of Aircraft Production and the War Office. After the Second World War he was involved in several London County Council housing schemes.

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