Celebration for award winning village homes

Supported by his wife Margaret, the three houses he created in the 1960s - The Turn, Middle Turn and Turn End - received a Royal Institute of British Architects Award for Architecture in 1970 and later added to the list of buildings of special architectural or historic interest. This was upgraded to II* in 2006, one of only a handful of post war houses at this grade.

At the anniversary celebrations, all three houses and the gardens were open to invited guests Short presentations were made by John Creaser, a friend of Peter’s from the 1950s when they met doing military service, part-time member of the original building team at Turn End, and with his wife Hazel the first owner of The Turn.

Other speakers included Jane Brown, writer and specialist in landscape design, author of the book ‘A Garden and Three Houses’ about the Turn End cluster; Steve Sharp, long-standing resident of Haddenham, parish councillor, co-ordinator of the local Library and editor of Haddenham Museum’s series The Haddenham Chronicles, and former Bucks education officer;

Elain Harwood of Historic England and formerly of English Heritage, author of ‘Space, Hope and Brutalism’ (2015), one place among others where she writes appreciatively of Peter’s work;

Virginia Samuda, on behalf of Richard Murphy, award-winning British architect and broadcaster, consistent admirer and advocate of Peter’s, and current patron of the Turn End Charitable Trust.

The Aldingtons still live at Turn End, Middle Turn is lived in by Virginia (with partner Martin), daughter of its original owners John and Betty Landon, while The Turn is currently let. The formalities were concluded when Peter and Margaret were presented with a 50th anniversary cake.