5 bedrooms House in St. Katharines Way, London E1
The prettiest historic country house in central London; a rare opportunity for a buyer for whom a statement property, in a globally renowned city, with iconic views, exceptional accommodation, almost unrivalled security and an important historical provenance is appealing. The Dockmaster's House was designed in 1827 by leading Architect Philip Hardwick, treasurer of the Royal Academy, and whose next project was Goldsmith's Hall in the City of London. Built during the reign of George IV, the house has a fascinating history which is well documented - the late Queen's brother-in-law, Lord Snowdon, campaigned against the threat of demolition as it's purpose changed from being the home of the Dockmaster, who managed the Dock, to a private domestic dwelling. The Grade II listed house was combined with The Toll House (the attached former Dock Office) during the current owner's tenure, seamlessly creating an interior redolent of a Georgian English country house. The Toll House was acquired and gutted, the roof raised and it was entirely redesigned and decorated in the image and style of Sir John Soane (1753 -1837). The River Thames surrounds the house on two sides and this aspect is uniquely exploited in the first floor drawing room and raised ground floor dining room below it. Both have a full width apsidal window facing the river and side windows which frame Tower Bridge and The Shard beyond. These rooms give the impression of being in the captain's quarters of an 18th century English 1st rate ship of the line; a truly unique experience. The barrel windows are the architect Philip Hardwick's master stroke as he has combined them with an extended eave overhang from the elegant shallow pitched roofline giving the exterior a very striking main feature. The Georgian cellar survives and houses many dozens of cases of wine in an environmentally controlled atmosphere. It was restored to assist the whole property for entertaining with a dumb waiter from the cellar to the saloon. The ground and first floors are connected by a central symmetrical feature atrium, open to the first floor which is crowned by a high, ornately decorated, cupola ceiling with a beautiful staircase that climbs in a stately fashion. There is also a second staircase on the south side of the house. When combined with the principal rooms the proportions give an impression of the volume of an historic country house in the style of John Soane. The front of the house faces south with the garden surrounding it on three sides. It was conceived and planted by the owners with input from Todd Longstaffe Gowan (Kensington Palace Gardens), in formal country house garden style with a parterre, mature roses and plants and many different locations for outdoor entertaining, including a raised terrace giving elevated river views, open sided rotunda, intimate riverside folly (built to commemorate the millennium), ornamental Koi carp pond and an open area which gives the ability to erect a marquee to seat 60 guests for lunch or dinner. The garden is flanked by a high wall, providing great privacy and security, which is almost unrivalled as this dock is also patrolled 24 hours a day by private security. There is also daily private refuse collection, for which there is a small annual charge. Pedestrian and vehicular access to the rear from Tower Hill is via the 'Red Bridge' over the lock, which, as it can be raised, is rather like a draw bridge over a castle's moat. From the other side, the entrance to St. Katharine's Way is protected by an automated barrier with numberplate recognition and an intercom to the dock security office so guests can obtain access. Turning off St. Katharine's Way there is a large private off-street parking area which leads to a double garage and through gates to a spacious secure walled yard offering further space for multiple car parking. Here there may be scope to roof-over to create a single-story building which could be used for recreational, luxury garaging, security or domestic staff accommodation, or many other uses - this is very unusual for London. This is the first time this truly unique property has been sold as a single set in surrounding grounds.
Bedroom : Bedroom 2/Office : Bedroom 3/Gym : Bedroom 4/Dressing Room : Bedroom/Garden Room : Shower Room : 3 En Suite Bathrooms : Guest WC : Reception Room : Dining Room : Kitchen : Library : Study : Study/TV Room : Saloon : 2 Utility Rooms : Porcelain Room : 2 Wine Cellars : Storage : Terrace : Garden : Garage : Off-Street Parking
Offers in Excess of £15,000,000 Subject To Contract
5 bedrooms House in Princelet Street, London E1
Originally built in 1719, the house that exists today is an exceptional enigma of the traditional and contemporary; measuring almost 4,000 sq ft and blending versatile commercial elements with refined residential spaces. Two entrances provide access from the street. To the left a glazed shopfront is retained in the form of a double reception, with a set of double doors leading from one to the other and open fireplaces in both. To the right is the main front door; a monolithic piece of carved wood that opens to a wide entrance hall. Steps on the right descend to a self-contained studio apartment, and at the end, a doorway leads past a living wall across a glass-sheltered bridge to an enormous two-storey gallery and commercial space added by the architect. The rear section replaces a 19th-Century workshop with a two-tiered expanse filled with natural light from a glazed roof lantern and a courtyard garden. The ceiling is a stunning concrete, shuttered using Douglas fir in homage to the floorboards of the previous structure. The main staircase is an exceptional original aspect of the house with worn oak treads rising at the rear under a series of wide sash windows. On the first floor is a formal living room with an opening onto a library and office space. On the second floor are two bedrooms, one currently used as a dressing room, and a bathroom clad in Carrara marble. The tall looms used by the Huguenot weavers required generous ceilings for which loft spaces were often adapted to maximise light and as a result, working hours. Being home to a painter and then a clergyman, this particular house did not have a loft space, and so to match the terrace, another of Dyson's additions was a third floor to accommodate an open-plan kitchen and dining room. From here, terraces at the front and back are opened onto through timber-framed glazing, extending the indoor space in the warmer months.
3 Bedrooms : Bathroom : Shower Room : Guest WC : Double Reception Room : Reception Room : 2 Kitchens : Library/Office/Studio : 2 X Self-Contained Studios : Balcony : Garden
£4,750,000 Subject To Contract
5 bedrooms House in St Katharines Way, London E1
A truly unique, opportunity to own a house boasting massive internal spaces in the only marina in central London, adjacent to a World Heritage Site and a short walk from the City of London. There are so few houses in this extraordinarily significant and well-connected area of London that this is a rare prospect indeed. The sellers tell us, 'It wasn't until the day we moved in that we truly appreciated the impact of the 180° views of Tower Bridge and the marina.' 'We celebrated with a dinner party in the lounge with trestle tables put together to make a dinner table for forty guests, such is the scale of the rooms. It has been our dream home, an oasis of calm right in the heart of the greatest city in the world, with Turner's light over the Thames thrown in.' The current owners converted from a six-bedroom, five-bathroom house to a five-bedroom, four-bathroom to ensure that every room is spacious and light filled. 'We loved the house but we knew it could be better. The lounge and dining room were two nice sized rooms, but we took the walls out and made it one massive reception room with 180° views from a series of quadruple windows. We turned what was the study and kitchen into a large kitchen with a wonderful westward aspect. I can tell you, Tower Bridge is not a bad view to fry your eggs to!' 'As well as those views of Tower Bridge and the marina, on the south balcony you can start your day with breakfast and a view of the sunrise and return to it to raise a glass to the sun going down on the Thames. And for lovers of dining out, there are rich pickings in all directions: east, west, north, and south.' 'Our favourite spots from here, are St. John in Spitalfields, Moro in Exmouth Market, Brick Lane for a curry, Le Pont de la Tour and Brindisa just over the bridge, and everything else in Borough Market. It's all fantastic from this base.' 'For the past few decades, my morning commute to the City has been a five-minute walk through the Tower of London gardens. It's almost a case of the Beefeaters saluting me as I pass. It's an astonishing and unique start to the working day that I never stopped appreciating.' Tower Walk is situated in St. Katharine Docks, the neighbouring property is the eleventh century Tower of London, one of the most celebrated historical sites in the world. The docks were constructed in the 1820s for a sky-high £2million to handle luxury goods from all over the world, including carpets, tea, spices, rum and the raw materials to manufacture perfume. The earth dug out to create St. Katharine was deposited downstream at Millbank, to form the foundations for the new suburbs of Pimlico and Belgravia. The warehouses at St. Katharine's were designed by Philip Hardwick and considered the most outstanding in London's dock system. The three interlinked basins, accessed via an entrance lock from the Thames, now form a marina for 185 vessels on a twenty-acre site that brings an abundance of natural light to the house, as well as east-to-west views and a sense of space that few period buildings in the City can offer. The docks are a private estate with no through traffic and, as a result, are profoundly quiet and secure. St Katharine Dock is located a few minutes from Tower Hill Underground Station, Tower Gateway DLR and Fenchurch Street Overground Station are also conveniently situated close by. Council Tax Band H.
4 Bedrooms : Bedroom 5/Study : 2 En Suite Bathrooms : 2 En Suite Shower Rooms : Guest WC : Reception Room : Dining Room : Kitchen : 2 Roof Terraces : 11 Juliette Balconies : Garage
£3,600,000
6 bedrooms House in Mile End Road, London E1
Humbly hidden off the legendary Mile End Road, behind cast-iron railings adorned with ivy, wisteria, jasmine and climbing roses, lays Malplaquet House: an extraordinary home steeped in history and local significance. With private, walled gardens to its front and its rear, one truly takes a leap back in time upon entering the Grade II Listed early Georgian home, which has been painstakingly and lovingly restored by its different and devoted custodians since its construction between 1741 - 1742. And now, the opportunity has arisen to take ownership and lead the charge of the next era of this remarkable piece of East End history. Four storeys wide, five bays wide and composed of strong London stock brick, Malplaquet House unfolds over four spacious and atmospheric storeys with curiosities seemingly found around every corner. Restored most recently in consultation with The Spitalfields Historic Buildings Trust, every effort was made to preserve the integrity of its early Georgian domestic architecture and while today's basic amenities such as heat, electricity and double glazing are there to allow livability, the aura and milieu of the 18th century London feels almost tangible. Other conveniences that have been integrated throughout include box sash windows and shutters, reclaimed cast-iron radiators, tulip-wood-mounted dolly switches and six-panel doors. Throughout the home, the lime plaster walls are enriched with thin paints and chalks, hand applied in countless layers by specialist artisans, and aged pine floors lay underfoot. Upon entrance, the main floor comprises two principal 30 ft deep reception rooms on either side of the entrance hall, both with double-aspect windows allowing the rooms to be flooded with light. The lower ground floor, with cool stone flags running underfoot, is home to the kitchen and an additional bedroom which could be utilized as a dining area, and other rooms which can be purposed for storage, pantry, exercise or recreation. The rear garden, which is wonderfully private and neatly contained, can be accessed by doors on both of these floors. The first and second floors open up yet more refined living spaces in addition to bedrooms, and the options for usage are vast. The working, wood burning fireplaces, original panelling and remnants of centuries old wallpaper truly transport one back in time, with the buzz of the Mile End Road practically inaudible due to the recent installation of double glazing by the current owners. A home office, formerly an additional kitchen when the home was a shared dwelling, can be found on the top floor by the distinctive, oversized bathroom complete with two bathtubs creating a space to relax and replenish in the evening. Council tax band H.
5 Bedrooms : Bedroom 6/Dining Room : Bathroom : Shower Room : Separate WC : Guest WC : Reception Room : Dining Room : Kitchen : Pantry : Utility Room : Garden
£2,950,000
3 bedrooms House in Rectory Square, London E1
A beautifully presented, three-bedroom freehold house, located in a quiet cul-de-sac, and garden square. The property has been completely refurbished by the current owners to create a stylish family home. The accommodation comprises a spacious living room, guest WC, cloakroom, dining room, and separate fitted kitchen. Quality oak flooring to the living and dining room. First floor, two double bedrooms, and a third single bedroom/home office/dressing room. Family bathroom. Outside: There is a driveway at the front of the house. To the rear, the secluded patio garden is laid with travertine marble tiles. The property is within easy walking distance to Stepney Green, Whitechapel, and Limehouse stations giving access to The Elizabeth Line, London Overground, District, Hammersmith and City lines, and the DLR. There is a variety of shops close by together with Stepney Green Farm and the historic St Dunstan's Church. The property is a 1.6-mile walk to The City and a 1.8-mile walk to Canary Wharf. No upper chain.
3 Bedrooms : Bathroom : Guest WC : Reception Room : Dining Room : Kitchen : Garden : Parking
£799,950
5 bedrooms House in St Katharine Docks Marina, 50 St Katharines Way, London E1
A truly spectacular and quite unique 1930s steel barge which has been converted into a magnificent contemporary houseboat. The near 50 ft. foredeck provides enormous scope for al fresco entertaining but it is the internal volume of this vessel - in excess of 5,000 sq. ft. - that has allowed for an extensive and impressive open-plan upper deck including a vast and bright reception, kitchen and dining areas, offering wonderful dock views with a central atrium stairway to a lower deck. On the lower deck there is a further reception area and access to a Rib/Jet-ski platform and five large double bedrooms, each with direct or shared en suite facilities. The current owner has recently laid new wool carpet, replaced the boiler and installed LED lighting as well as repainted. There is a newly built office space at the rear of the houseboat with Tower Bridge views which is separated from the main living accommodation. Matrix Island with its own private access ramp, is moored at St Katharine Docks London's premier luxury yacht marina providing a most exciting venue close the heart of the City of London.
5 Bedrooms : Shower Room : Jack And Jill Bathroom : 3 En Suite Shower Rooms : Reception Room : Study : Kitchen : Utility Room : Airing Cupboard : Engine Room : Winter Garden
£3,750 pw / £16,250 pm