Sold
North Road, London N7Sold
Soaring ceiling heights and beautiful sash windows provide spectacular views over the city
This charming two-bedroom apartment occupies the second floor of a handsome, Grade II-listed former inn between Camden, Holloway and Islington. Offering roughly 850 sq ft of lateral living space, each room in the apartment features double-height ceilings and classically arched sash windows. The calming interior is complemented by a spacious outdoor terrace with far-reaching views towards St Paul’s Cathedral.
Setting the Scene
North Road is a wonderfully-connected part of London on the northeast corner of Caledonian Market. Listed as The Lion public house in 1855, the former inn was one of four taverns – The Lion, The Lamb, The Black Bull and The White Horse – known as the ‘Pepper Pots’, which provided popular pitstops for visitors to the Metropolitan Cattle Market. The pub ceased trading in 1963, and the building underwent a sympathetic restoration project in the early 2000s. For more information, please see the History section below.
The Grand Tour
The Grade II-listed, four-storey building stands proudly alone on North Road. The façade of the upper floors is solid London brick, with rusticated Portland Stone quoins running up the four exposed corners. Window bays are rendered with decorative brackets and have not been altered since they were conceived.
The apartment is configured around a reception room with soaring ceiling heights; four beautiful sash windows provide dual-aspect views of the surrounding area. Currently arranged as a living and dining area, the room is flooded with light from its south-facing aspect and provides the perfect space for large-scale entertaining; hardwood flooring runs underfoot throughout the apartment.
Next to the reception room is a well-sized kitchen. Dark worktops and integrated cabinetry are illuminated by an arched window at one end of the room. Across the hallway is the family bathroom, decorated with cermamic wall and floor tiles. Here, there is a bath with an overheadshower, a basin and a WC.
To the rear of the apartment lies a spacious main bedroom with built-in wardrobes; a window at one end of the room casts a generous level of natural light across the room. A second bedroom, currently used as a guest room, sits next to the main bedroom and also has built-cupboards, high ceilings and an abundance of natural light.
The Great Outdoors
The main bedroom opens through glazed doors onto a large balcony. The space offers a tranquil setting for a morning coffee and alfresco entertaining in the summer months and has spectacular and far-reaching views across London; there is a vista directly to St Paul’s Cathedral.
Out and About
The apartment is conveniently located a 20-minute walk from King’s Cross, Camden and Kentish Town and is ideally situated for the plethora of shops, bars, and restaurants in each area. Granary Square at King’s Cross is a short walk to the south, home to a wonderful public square, including restaurants such as Caravan, Vinoteca, Dishoom and Granger & Co.
Nearby Caledonian Park has a café, woodland and meadow areas, community gardens and an orchard, offering a charming public space a stone’s throw away from the apartment. Immediately to the southeast of Caledonian Park is Market Square Gardens, which provides a tranquil respite and retains many of its original 19th-century plane trees.
Lion Apartments is within reaching distance of Caledonian Road and Barnsbury Overground stations. King’s Cross Station is also close by, providing railway connections nationwide and served by Hammersmith & City, Circle, Victoria, Northern, Piccadilly and Metropolitan underground lines. St Pancras International station provides Eurostar connections to Paris and Brussels.
Tenure: Share of Freehold
Underlying Lease Length: approx. 100 years remaining
Service Charge: approx. £600 pa
Ground Rent: approx. £200 pa
Council Tax Band: D
Please note that all areas, measurements and distances given in these particulars are approximate and rounded. The text, photographs and floor plans are for general guidance only. Inigo has not tested any services, appliances or specific fittings — prospective purchasers are advised to inspect the property themselves. All fixtures, fittings and furniture not specifically itemised within these particulars are deemed removable by the vendor.
History
The Metropolitan Cattle Market was built by the City of London Corporation and was opened in June 1855 by Prince Albert. The rectangular market radiated out from a central clock tower, which still stands today.
Packed with livestock pens, the market could accommodate some 12,700 cattle, sheep and pigs. The market also had sales arenas, offices, banks, a telegraph office, two hotels and five inns, including The Lion. The inns served as a place for rest and recreation for drovers who brought livestock into London and market workers.
Having ceased trading in 1963, Lion Apartments, the Lamb and White Horse were subject to sympathetic conversions in the late 90’s and early 00’s. The Black Bull and market areas were sadly demolished.
Lion Apartments — North Road, London N7
Interested? Let’s talk
Interested? Let’s talk
Related Stories- A Garden with a History: a quiet inheritance, tenderly reimagined by designer Tom Faulkner
- Salt and Stone: seven storied seaside homes in the South West
- A Private View: from relic to ruin to renewal — inside SPAB’s seven-year rescue of St Andrew’s Chapel
- A Private View: two artists embrace their pirate spirit in a creative and storied home by the sea
- A Room of One’s Own: the attic studio where painter Will Calver captures the poetry of everyday life
