This superb Grade II-listed Victorian warehouse represents a rare and exciting opportunity to acquire all three leasehold apartments in the building, linked via a coded lift. There are eight bedrooms overall, across approximately 8,350 sq ft, with a further 1,550 sq ft of balconies and south-facing terraces. It occupies an excellent position in the heart of Clerkenwell and has been updated in recent years to a design by DSP Architecture.

The Tour

Set over a ground-floor commercial space on a prominent Clerkenwell street, the front aspect is an elegant blend of intricate Flemish brickwork and pointed-arch windows. The three apartments share a ground-level lobby, accessed through a façade of ashlar stone, with high ceilings and space for bike storage. Stone stairs lead up to the communal staircase or left to the shared coded lift, which opens directly into each flat.

The current owners use the three apartments as an answer to vertical family living, where communality or independence can be easily achieved. In the past, occupying one or more of the flats and renting the remainder on short or long lets has offered a welcome versatility.

The three apartments are distinctive in their aesthetic. The first and second floors share a similar layout, both with entry via glazed Crittall atriums and dramatic open-plan receptions with double-height ceilings, as well as mezzanine-level bedrooms and kitchens in their south-westerly corners. In each, a quartet of towering casement windows pours light into the space. The first floor employs a monochrome palette of white walls and white-painted oak floors, while the second floor opts for the rich grain of natural American oak and timber louvres in place of the first floor’s glazed mezzanine. Bathrooms are set beneath each mezzanine and master bedrooms are positioned to the south of the plan, both with shower rooms and balconies.

The penthouse is arranged over three levels, and exceeds 5,200 sq ft including its outside spaces. Like the first and second-floor receptions, the third floor is a wonderful open expanse of living room, dining room and kitchen. Muted American oak flooring is set against dark red-painted original steel beams and columns. Light floods in from windows at both aspects and through walk-on roof lights in the terrace above.  There is a bespoke ‘Dancing flames’ gas fire within the living space and opposite, a bank of custom oak bookshelves conceals plenty of deep storage space and a secret door to a ‘curiosity’ room with a stairwell to the upper terrace.

There are three bedrooms in the penthouse; one on the third floor and two on the fourth. The third-floor bedroom has an en suite shower room and infra-red sauna; this bedroom plus en suite bathroom is mirrored on the fourth floor. Both bedrooms have access to balconies. The master bedroom is located on the fourth floor and is a bright open space that looks out to the decked terrace through massive sliding glazed doors. An en suite bath and shower room in limestone shares the terrace view and the entire glazed section is granted privacy by electric blinds. On the fifth floor is a long office, divisible into sections and with access to a terrace of artificial grass and incredible southerly views to the City,  St Paul’s and The Old Bailey.

The Area

Clerkenwell is renowned for the quality and variety of its bars, pubs and restaurants. Nearby Exmouth Market, Covent Garden and Soho are all within walking distance. The Barbican Centre, with its world-class cultural programme of cinema, music, theatre, talks and exhibitions, is a few minutes’ walk from the house. Smithfield is moments away and under proposals by Studio Egret West, plans are afoot to convert the Smithfield East and West Market buildings into a food education centre and a cultural and entertainment space respectively, and the relocation of the London Museum.

Kings Cross is easily reached and has become London’s regeneration success story, welcoming the likes of Google, Louis Vuitton, Universal Music and Havas, alongside existing outposts of Caravan, Waitrose, Dishoom, and audiophile bar Spiritland. The Thomas Heatherwick-designed Coal Drops Yard brings Margaret Howell, Tom Dixon and Aesop stores to the canal, along with a fine selection of bars, restaurants and cafes.

Nearby Farringdon station (Circle, Metropolitan and Hammersmith & City Lines and National Rail) provides quick access to the West End and London’s major airports. Farringdon Station will also benefit from the opening of Crossrail and its direct route to Heathrow Airport. The Eurostar is only one stop away at Kings Cross / St Pancras.

Tenure: Leasehold
Lease Length: approx. 999 years

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.