This fantastically bright four-bedroom modernist house forms part of the sought-after Southwood House Estate in Highgate, a triangle of residences built between 1958 and 1962 to a design by architects Andrews, Emerson, Sherlock & Keable. The houses on Southwood Lane were built to impeccable designs, with off-street parking, private gardens and secure access to the extensive communal gardens. The house is a short walk from the amenities of Highgate Village and  Highgate Underground station.

The Tour

This house sits at the end of a terrace, behind a leafy screen of mature trees and off an adopted service road set back from Southwood Lane. Its pale brick façade is punctuated by picture windows and blue and red panels. Entry is to a hall laid with oak parquet flooring, which flows on throughout the open-plan ground floor at the rear of the plan.

The kitchen is set at the front of the plan, where a bottle green worktop rests above beech cabinetry. Glazing above the sink has verdant views across the shared front lawn. A large portion of the ground floor is given over to the music room housed in the 1960s extension. Dual-aspect, an entire bank of glazing overlooks the private front garden and lane, and a window at the back has leafy garden views. A set of steps in this room divides the space, emphasised by a wooden floor at one end and green carpet at the other.

At the rear of the plan is a light-filled double-height reception area and a dining area. Both areas have glazed doors which open onto the private garden. The dining area has built-in bookshelves and the original fireplace. In the double-height reception area, the original open-tread staircase has a sculptural quality and winds upstairs to the first floor and the three bedrooms therein.

The houses on the Southwood Lane Estate were designed so that the front and rear pitches of the roof do not meet at the apex, allowing windows to be set into the uppermost section of the west-facing roof, resulting in excellent levels of natural light internally, which is particularly noticeable on the first floor.

The main bedroom is set to the rear and is bright as a result of windows overlooking the garden and communal grounds beyond. There is also a clerestory window framing views of the treetops beyond Southwood Lane. This room has a bespoke original fitted wood desk that spans the full width of the room. There are teak panels holding bookshelves on one wall and built-in cupboards. There are two further bedrooms, one double and one single, both with built-in cupboards, and there is also a shower room and a separate WC on this level.

On the ground floor, at the front of the plan, is the former garage, which has been cleverly converted into a bedroom with a large window overlooking Southwood Lane. There is a teak desk, and drawers hung from a matching wall panel. This room would make a fantastic office or studio. There is a shower room with WC on this floor.

Outdoor Space

A glazed sliding door from the dining area and French doors from the double-height reception area open to the secluded and private garden. Partially laid to lawn and bound by privet hedges, the garden is a peaceful retreat with bamboo in the neighbouring garden forming a further natural screen between the two gardens.

A short path leads from here into the tranquil private communal gardens, with expansive stretches of lawn dotted with tables and benches set amongst mature trees and hedging with beautifully maintained secluded pathways throughout. These communal gardens were created when the Southwood House Estate was developed after the former Southwood House (c.1745) burnt down. The new development was deliberately situated around the grounds of the old house, resulting in the creation of these sizable communal gardens for the sole use of the Estate’s residents, which provides a verdant and secure environment.

The Area

Highgate Village has a wide variety of shops, cafés, pubs and restaurants, including wine shop Bottle, popular pub The Flask, and fruit and veg shop Greens of Highgate. There is also The Grocery Post on Archway Road, which serves good coffee and groceries. There are excellent schools in the area, including Highgate School, Highgate Primary School, St Michael’s Primary School and Channing.

Southwood Lane is also close to an array of large green spaces, including Hampstead Heath and Waterlow Park, as well as the ancient Highgate Wood and Queen’s Wood. A short walk east is Parkland Walk, a disused railway line that has been transformed into a green pedestrian thoroughfare that runs all the way from Highgate to Finsbury Park, and one can walk to Muswell Hill through the beautiful Highgate Woods

The house is a short walk from Highgate Underground station (Northern Line). The Number 43 bus runs from a nearby stop and journeys towards Moorgate, Bank and London Bridge, the 134 bus runs to Camden Town and Tottenham Court Road, and there are also bus routes which go to Kenwood House, Hampstead, Parliament Hill as well as Finsbury Park.

Council Tax Band: E

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. The Modern House 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.