The first townhouses historically were located on the Place du Vosges in Paris in the 1600s, and the earliest remaining in London located at Newington Green, N16.
Heading upstairs to bed at night and walking down to breakfast, it really strikes a chord it adds a sense of occasion to the start or end of the day, and nowhere does it better than the classic and ever-present townhouses.
The early townhouses started the trend, but really were built to serve a purpose, and now take many forms. One interior feature that has remained consistent throughout the last 400 years, a garden, or terrace that leads off the really ground floor rooms.
Over five centuries of multi-level living, they have slowly adapted to modern ways of life, which highlights why they remain one of the most stable forms of housing and form the backbone of the British property scene. Here are three examples currently on the market for sale.
1. Former Piano Workshop
The ancient, cobbled streets of Peary Place in Bethnal Green are a fitting scene for this elegantly preserved and dramatically proportioned freehold property. Stylish interiors and industrial heritage are drawn together over three levels creating an environment that’s open to interpretation, whether it’s simply a home or an exciting place to live and work.
Outside, the handsome looks of the building are unmistakably Victorian which, historically, has served as a piano workshop as well as having connections with a local dairy.
Inside, and once past the warehouse-style front door, this unique home opens up through three layers of open plan levels starting with the expansive ground hosting the bathroom and the reception kitchen which is vast and undoubtedly the beating heart of the home. Its open plan nature lends itself to a wonderfully sociable environment.
On one side of the room, stainless steel kitchen cupboards paired with matching countertops hug the white washed brick walls and terracotta clad floors help to celebrate the industrial look that pervades the entire house. The comfortable snug at the far end of the room is a spot for quiet contemplation that’s home to a couple of sofas and a coffee table enjoying natural light that pours through the glazed roof light above.
£1,200,000 – discover Peary Place…
2. Grand old Grade II listed by the sea
Set back from a quiet road the house forms part of Markwick Terrace, which was conceived to be the most desirable terrace of large, stuccoed houses in St Leonards and Number 9 is the only house in the row to remain close to the original layout.
This rare and refined Grade II Listed home has been described as “Possibly the finest home in St Leonards”. Many interior features such as the incredibly ornate plasterwork to the ceiling in the Drawing Room remain intact. The house is currently arranged to offer a self-contained one-bedroom flat to the lower floor with its own entrance and small courtyard garden. This could easily be re-configured to offer one enormous home with flexible living spaces across five floors. There is a very pretty and thoughtfully planted garden to the rear of the house with a shady timber gazebo.
Set back from a quiet road the house forms part of Markwick Terrace, which was conceived to be the most desirable terrace of large, stuccoed houses in St Leonards and Number 9 is the only house in the row to remain close to the original layout.
The front garden has a tessellated tiled path leading to steps up to the front door. The wide hallway contains an exceptional original plaster frieze of a classical scene. The ground floor living space has been opened to create a traditional style kitchen overlooking the garden and a spacious dining space overlooking the private gardens to the front. Also on this floor is a loo and utility room which gives access to the garden.
£1,300,000 – discover Markwick Terrace
3. London Second Narrowest Home
This unique, one-of-a-kind home in highly prized Notting Hill Gate may be modest in stature but its clever interior arrangement over three floors provides two bedrooms, two bathrooms plus a sizable rear terrace. You decide whether it works as a comfortable home or bijou bolt hole.
A Sliver of Sanctuary: The Seven-Foot Wonder of Peel Street.
It would appear that in the world of tiny homes, this London pad was very much an early adopter.
Initially a ransom strip of land connecting the road to a long-demolished building behind, this unique house built circa 1930 and subsequently refurbished during the 1950s, found its way into the custodianship of its current owner around ten years ago.
For a compact home, there’s an awful lot to unpack here. Every square foot of the three floors has been thoroughly and thoughtfully designed.
Firstly, it’s a hugely distinctive home. Even at seven feet wide, its presence sits large along Peel Streets historic period terrace. With a passion for the Arts and Crafts era, a considered renovation introduced many decorative features of the period which extends to some exquisite detailing adorning the front of the house.
£1,195,000 – discover Peel Street.
Any preference for the above townhouses we have for sale?
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