This two-bedroom apartment with a large private garden is situated in a handsome brick-fronted 1860s Victorian townhouse on Cricketfield Road, Lower Clapton. Tonn Architecture has undertaken a sympathetic refurbishment that compliments the period features within, using a neutral colour palette that is enhanced by the apartment’s abundance of natural light. Cricketfield Road is next to Hackney Downs park and a fantastic variety of local amenities. It is also near Hackney Marshes, which leads on to Walthamstow Wetlands, the largest urban wetland nature reserve in Europe.

The Tour

A tall privet hedge rises from the front boundary wall, providing privacy from the street frontage. Entry to the building is at ground level, via a recently renovated communal hall with parquet flooring; a set of stairs leads up to the first-floor apartment. The living space and kitchen occupy the front section of the plan, decorated in a simple palette of white walls and natural oak engineered timber flooring. In the minimalist kitchen, pale Silestone worktops and brushed stainless steel fittings contribute to the pared-back aesthetic, while the timber floor adds warmth.

The west-facing front rooms have wonderfully high ceilings and enjoy plenty of afternoon light, which streams in through double glazed timber-framed sash windows. The bedrooms and study are east facing so receive lovely, soft morning sun through large windows overlooking the mature gardens to the rear.

The single bedroom/study has been painted in Farrow & Ball’s “Duck Green” – a sensitive nod to the green of the gardens it overlooks – to create a delightfully calm workspace. The adjacent contemporary bathroom also employs warm, dark tones; a smart backdrop to the porcelain floors, exposed plaster walls and bespoke Valchromat joinery that provides plentiful storage. A set of daylit stairs leads down to the peaceful double bedroom, with lovely garden views past a mature fig tree just outside the window.

Outdoor Space

The apartment has a large private garden to the rear, accessed through a timber gate to the side of the building. Mature lime trees and a silver birch Betula Jacquemontii form a natural canopy over the peaceful, luscious space, underplanted with bluebells and a carpet of spring flowers. The recently laid stone pebbled area provides ample space for alfresco dining and is enclosed by new timber fences and reclaimed brick walls.

A newly built greenhouse with a reclaimed brick floor provides space to grow vegetables, while fruit trees and bushes bear apples, plums and berries. Cooking herbs are planted throughout, creating a beautiful scent in the summer evenings when combined with the jasmine, honeysuckle and large lemon verbena also found in the garden.

The current owners have recently added further generous planting including grasses and large shrubs (euphorbia, hydrangea and dogwood) as well as drought-tolerant perennials for a low-maintenance sustainable garden that will reach maturity this summer.

The Area

The apartment is conveniently situated between Hackney Downs to the west, one of the largest open spaces in Hackney, and Chatsworth Road Market to the east. Chatsworth Road runs north from Homerton to the green fields of Clapton and Hackney Marshes and offers a plethora of independent shops, cafes and restaurants including Jim’s Cafe and specialist suppliers L’epicerie 56, London Borough of Jam and Hackney Draper. Closer by are exciting restaurants Uchi, My Neighbours The Dumplings and Lucky & Joy. Clapton is also home to legendary wine bar P. Franco, as well as numerous other coffee shops, cafes and bars.

Hackney Central and Hackney Downs stations are an easy walk away for Overground lines to Stratford, Highbury & Islington and Liverpool Street in under 10 minutes. The 56 bus runs directly to Dalston, Angel and Barbian from Cricketfield Road.

Tenure: Share of Freehold
Lease Length: 987 years remaining
Service Charge: N/A. Repair costs shared with other freeholders.
Ground Rent: N/A
Parking: Residents permits
Council Tax Band: C (London Borough of Hackney)

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.