Silkin and Corbett House

flats in Lincoln Drive

By Neil Hamilton

Silkin and Corbett House

These were eight story blocks of flats in Lincoln Drive opposite St Joseph’s School. They took a good while to demolish. They started with an old fashioned ball and crane which they thought would make light work of it, but the balcony’s down each side were more reinforced than was originally thought so the job took a lot longer.

There used to be a great view of the estate from the roof of Corbett House.

They weren’t the best looking of buildings but served their purpose and housed many families over the years.

This page was added on 16/05/2012.

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  • Hi Donna just reading your really nice message about Lorraine, it’s been a long time now and still think of that day we lost Lorraine everyday it never gets easier unfortunately,I’m doing fine I live in lowestoft now moved from Watford 6 years ago,I still visit Lorraines grave a few times a year in north Watford,my mum is also buried close to her same place so they are together again hopefully we can meet 1 day for a good chat take care jimmy

    By James flock (04/10/2022)
  • My friend Lorraine Flock died at this horrible place, I spent many a weekend at the flat with her and her brother Jimmy, this haunted me to this day. So so sad

    By Collette (02/11/2021)
  • Just reading about who lived in those high rise flats it was David and Jean that I babysat for I looked after 2 little girls Sarah and Jeanette Smith they lived top floor were my friend Lorraine had been killed ,that morning 9th October 1981 I was meant to be delivering newspapers I couldn’t believe what I saw when I turned in the bk of those flats I too am glad they have gone xxx

    By Donna fuller (09/09/2020)
  • I remember those flats well, I lived in a smaller block at the back but I often would babysit on the top floor were my friend from school was murdered Lorraine was her name I was 11 years old I remember that dreadful day like it was yesterday it will stay with me forever ,I would love to make contact with her brother but I have no idea where to start ,I often think of Lorraine and have many times searched the internet looking I am now 50 yrs old so too find this today just kinda gave me hope that she wasn’t forgotten xxx

    By Donna (09/09/2020)
  • I was good friends with Lorraine Flock James. I remember that terrible morning hearing such sad news. Xx

    By Davina (30/04/2019)
  • I lived at 23 Corbet house, With my Parents. We were one the first family’s to move in. My Parents were so excited to have a proper home. We moved from a 28ft Caravan with no running water and an outside loo.

    By Lulu Whitehouse (16/03/2019)
  • That’s correct David Smith my 12 year old sister Lorraine was murdered in Corbett House 9th October 1981 by Ian Newton. So I was very glad to see the back of them horrible flats, does anyone know what year they were Demolished ?

    By James (16/01/2018)
  • I took a few pics of the flats whilst they were still standing though wish i’d taken more. I have the demolition date somewhere. I took a load of pics of the demolition but the mate I gave the film to in order to process it lost it! They used an old wrecking ball and crane. I’ll hunt out some more pics though dont have many.

    By Neil Hamilton (14/12/2017)
  • Literally the only single picture I can find of these flats 🙁 theres not even the basic stuff online like date of demolition ect not a single shred of information so frustrating.

    By Mark (11/12/2017)
  • I find browsing the ‘Our Oxhey’ site very interesting, it never fails to stimulate those little grey cells. Reading about the flats in Lincoln Drive, made me think about the length of time that I have lived in the area, which totals 57 years. Starting in 1940, 20 years in Carpenders Avenue, 5 years in Lincoln Drive,and 32 years in Ilkley Road. We lived at Flat No.12 in Lincoln Drive and my eldest daughter attended ‘Little Furze School’, after we moved to Ilkley Road, my elder daughter together with my other children attended ‘Woodhall Lane’ and ‘Sir James Altham’ schools. Our house in Ilkley Road backed onto fields, and had a wonderful view of Pinner Hill Golf Club, where we would toboggan down the slope opposite the Golf House. Another interesting thing about the Field was that it was one that Sid Brazier (Who owned Brazier’s Dairy in Oxhey Lane) leased from the ‘Blackwell’ estate. Where Little Oxhey Lane ends there was a white gate which was a farm entrance to the ‘Blackwell Estate’, this was the gate through which you had to pass to access this field, fond memories as I rode on a haycart with Roy Brazier to this field during my school 1940’s holidays. While living in Carpenders Avenue, I observed the complete building of the then named LCC/GLC South Oxhey Estate. The steel prefabricated houses were the most interesting to see built, after the base was layed a steel frame was constructed to which the Roof was fitted first, followed by the window frames then bright galvanised sheets were attached to the top half, expanded wire was then hung along the bottom half, to which received a cement base rendering, the inside was lined with something which looked like horse hair, a wooden frame supported hardboard panelling taped at the seams, all plumbing was fitted internally, an experiment we were told, to protect against frost, that is why you only see guttering on the outside of these houses, not many houses are assembled from the top to bottom.

    By Arthur Hall (22/10/2013)
  • For the benefit of those who like to calculate the time factor, I should have mentioned that I have now lived in North Watford for the last 12 years, in a house purchased new by my Father-in-law in 1938, and in which my Wife was born, it is called the ‘Kingswood Estate’, and is near the Warner Studios at Leavesden.

    By Arthur Hall (22/10/2013)
  • I was lucky I lived Silkin House first marriage to Marian Mccarthy 1970 –  71. Lived in Corbett House top flat 2 marriage to Jean Ankers 1979 history of that flat girl murdered thrown from window about year before we moved in spooky.

    By david smith (28/09/2013)
  • As recently commented my brother and mates used to play war games on this field before the flats were built, it had the remains of Nissan huts scattered all over and hard cement bases in neat rows, a great place to do battle with the enemy !!!!!. For a long time this field was used by all the families in the area for firework night who all contributed in making a massive bonfire to match the one built in Gosforth lane. Also worth noting regarding this field, we was always told that it housed POWs hence the Nissan huts, was this true ?

    By Ron Oliver (02/05/2013)