The Grand Tour

The house is set far back from the street behind a partially concealed and beautifully planted front garden and a large, paved parking forecourt with a border of raised brick beds. Steps ascend to the raised ground floor porch, where a wide front door opens to the entrance hallway.

To the right is a double reception with original shuttered sash windows filled with the front gardens foliage, stripped pine floors, and a fireplace with marble surround. French windows lead onto a paved terrace at the rear.

At the end of the entrance hall is a guest WC, and to its right is the staircase to the various levels. The staircase is defined by an incredibly elegant hardwood handrail and refined spiralling spindles.

There are four good-sized bedrooms on the upper two levels and a bathroom on each floor. The principal bedroom is positioned at the front of the house on the first floor and has a fireplace and adjoining dressing room.

From the ground floor landing, an open-tread staircase descends to the lower level under a wonderful semi-domed roof lantern. It arrives at the open-plan dining room and kitchen, which flows around the central staircase and has glazing on two aspects. The flooring here is a terracotta tile, and the kitchen worktops are granite. A gas stove is set against the eastern wall of the dining room, and two sets of French windows open the space fully to the lower paved terrace.

Also on this level, at the front of the house, is a utility room and a fifth bedroom with an en suite shower.

The Great Outdoors

Throughout, the house has an uplifting interaction with its foliage-filled surroundings. There are two excellent terraces; one from the raised ground level looking over the garden beyond iron balustrades, the other from the open-plan kitchen and dining space. Both are laid in slate tiles. The lower level has brick-raised beds for herb planting, and these curve to form a central staircase up to the lawn. The garden itself is very mature and planted with a range of interesting varieties.

At the rear of the garden, the mass of garages that open onto a private lane has been retained. A small office space has been added between the garages and garden, and a studio apartment has been created at basement level.

There is also side access to the garden from the front forecourt, allowing the studio to be used independently.

Out and About

Just a few minutes’ walk from Battersea Bridge, Westbridge Road is within easy reach of the shops and restaurants of the King’s Road and Chelsea, as well as, more immediately, the amenities of Battersea Square and Battersea Park Road in either direction. Where Westbridge Road meets Battersea Bridge Road, there is a cluster of pubs, bakeries, cafes, and delis. Just down Parkgate Road are gourmet grocer Bayley and Sage, the excellent Nutbourne at Ransome’s Dock, and The Prince Albert at the corner of Albert Bridge Road. The Woodman is also a great pub option nearby.

At the end of the road is Battersea Square, a picturesque pedestrianized piazza surrounded by cafes, tea rooms, and some excellent restaurants, including Lebanese restaurant Mazar, Melazana Pizzeria, and Gordon Ramsay’s London House. There is also a branch of Gail’s.

Just 20 minutes on foot through Battersea Park and one reaches Battersea Power Station, now home to an excellent array of high-end shops, restaurants, and a cinema.

Spanning 200 acres, the exquisite green space of Battersea Park is but a five-minute walk from the home. It’s made up of a wonderful assemblage of gardens, sprawling lawns, a boating lake, a children’s Zoo, the Pump House gallery, and sports facilities. The Pear Tree Cafe is set beside the lake and offers vibrant evenings of live music, with food by ex-Petersham Nurseries alumni Annabel Partridge and Will Burrett.

Laid out between 1854 and 1870 and Grade II*-listed, the park has an extensive frontage and a riverside promenade to the Thames.

Numerous schools are nearby for all ages, notably the Newton Prep School and Thomas’s School. A few excellent independent schools are just across the river in Chelsea.

Battersea Park and Queenstown Road are closest to Southern Rail and Overground links, and Clapham Junction is also close by. Battersea Power Station’s underground provides quick links to central London via the Northern line. Along with a great network of immediate local buses, some offering a very quick route to South Kensington, buses run regularly to Victoria station from Cadogan Pier, just across Albert Bridge. The Thames Clipper Uber Boat runs down the Thames from the pier to the City and Canary Wharf to the East.

Council Tax Band:  G