Alexandra Palace Area Guide: Surveyor Insights into North London’s Period Homes

Tollington Surveyors
Aug 26
4 min read

Alexandra Palace Area Guide: Surveyor Insights into North London’s Period Homes

The area surrounding Alexandra Palace—straddling the borders of Muswell Hill, Wood Green, and Hornsey—is a very popular part of North London.

Known locally as "Alexandra Park" or simply "Ally Pally," this part of the Haringey Borough offers panoramic views, elegant period homes, and direct access to 196 acres of green open space. We carry out between one and two surveys a week in this area and thought you might appreciate some local insight from a surveyor’s perspective.

Historic Context

Alexandra Palace was opened in 1873 as a public entertainment venue, intended as a northern rival to Crystal Palace. Though it suffered major fires, it remains a Grade II listed building and a major cultural landmark. The surrounding streets evolved during the late Victorian and Edwardian periods to accommodate the growing middle classes drawn by the park, views, and railway links.

Key Roads & Location

The area includes parts of N10, N22, and N8 postcodes. Key roads include:

Alexandra Park Road – A broad tree-lined avenue with large detached and semi-detached Edwardian homes.
Palace Gates Road – Close to Alexandra Palace Station and the park entrance.
Outram Road & Dukes Avenue – Popular with families, offering spacious period housing.
Crescent Rise, Durnsford Road & Curzon Road – Bordering the park and sloping down toward the New River, often featuring converted flats with garden access.
Priory Road – Extending from Hornsey to the park boundary, with a mix of larger Victorian homes and later infill.

The area is well-served by both Alexandra Palace (National Rail) and Bounds Green (Piccadilly Line) stations, making it ideal for commuters.

Architecture & Building Types

Housing is predominantly late Victorian and Edwardian, including red-brick terraces, double-fronted villas, and three-storey semi-detached houses. Many have been converted into flats, often without full consideration for long-term maintenance, party wall issues, or building control compliance. Newer developments around the edges of the park tend to be low-rise blocks or post-war infill.

Common features include:

Solid brick walls with lime mortar
Timber sash windows and slate or clay-tile pitched roofs
Suspended timber floors
Decorative gables and original detailing

Surveyor Insights

As building surveyors active in the Alexandra Palace area, we frequently encounter:

Movement and cracking, particularly in bay windows and flank walls due to underlying London Clay
Penetrating damp and poor pointing on exposed rear and gable walls
Basement or lower ground floor damp, especially in unconverted areas or where lightwells and full basement excavations have been retrofitted without adequate structural support or waterproofing
Flooding history, particularly on lower-lying sections of Priory Road and Crescent Rise, where some buildings have recorded historic surface water ingress. Insurers have paid out on claims in the past, and flood resistance measures have since been adopted in some properties. Buyers should check insurance history and confirm whether any anti-flooding works have been completed.
Tree-related movement near mature planting
Flat roof defects on later extensions
Poor insulation in converted roof spaces and single-glazed timber windows
Lack of formal service charge or management plans in converted buildings

Buyers should also be aware of the gradient—many roads slope toward the New River Valley, affecting surface water drainage and increasing risk of water ingress to lower-level flats.

Schools & Local Amenities

The area benefits from excellent local schools including Alexandra Park School, Rhodes Avenue Primary, and St. Thomas More Catholic School. There are also nurseries and independent schools nearby. Local amenities include the iconic Farmers Market at Ally Pally, green open space, and family-friendly pubs and cafés scattered along Alexandra Park Road and surrounding streets.

Property Prices: 2022–2025 Trends

Between 2022 and 2025, prices in the Alexandra Palace area have continued to rise steadily:

Flats have increased from around £485,000 to £520,000
Terraced houses from £810,000 to £870,000
Semi-detached houses from £1.3m to £1.41m
Larger houses from £2.45m to £2.63m

This reflects a consistent 7–8% growth across all property types, driven by strong demand, school catchments, green space, and access to central London.

Final Thought

Living around Alexandra Palace blends Victorian grandeur with family practicality. It offers commanding views, access to nature, and a sense of architectural consistency. However, with charm comes complexity—period properties here often require close inspection.

At Tollington Surveyors, we are a small firm working exclusively across North London. We know this area well and regularly inspect properties across the Alexandra Palace and Muswell Hill borders. Surveys in this area must consider a range of factors including historical building methods, drainage, basement modifications, and shared ownership arrangements. If you're considering a purchase, we can assist with a RICS Home Buyer or a RICS Building Survey to ensure peace of mind and avoid hidden costs.

Please contact us to discuss your requirements.

Tollington Surveyors is a small, locally-focused surveying company based in Stroud Green, and dedicated to serving the Haringey area. Learn more >