3 bed terraced house for sale

Turner Street II, London E1

Constructed in the early 19th century, this refined three-bedroom house lies in Whitechapel's Myrdle Street conservation area. It has been sympathetically preserved by the Spitalfields Trust, who have upheld the home's period character in restored fireplaces, floorboards and sash windows. There is a walled garden at the rear, planted with flowers, herbs and, apple and fern trees, and with a garden studio designed to emulate the home's profile. Some of the city’s best-loved public parks are within easy reach, as are stations that provide quick services to the east and west of London.

Setting the Scene

In Roque’s Map of 1746, the land that today makes up the Myrdle Street conservation was broadly given over to open fields. In 1752, the London Hospital (now the Royal London Hospital) was established nearby; the surrounding fields subsequently became a site for lettable residential development used by the hospital to supplement its running costs. As a result, Turner Street and Varden Street were laid out between 1807 and 1812.

Having fallen into decline, the houses were acquired by the London Development Agency in 2005, and were intended for redevelopment by Queen Mary University. The Spitalfields Trust intervened to relocate the university scheme and oversaw the restoration of the vacant houses. Led by evidence of vernacular forms in east London, they extended the Georgian terraces with clapboard-clad additions to the rear and attic storeys behind gambrel roofs. The widely acclaimed restoration was completed in 2010.

The Grand Tour

The house occupies a coveted end-of-terrace position. Its panelled front door is accessed via Varden Street and is topped with a three-paned transom light. The door and its surround, the glazing bars of the sash windows, and the window shutters are all finished in a combination of muted green and deep plum with wrought iron fixtures.

Entry is to a hallway decorated with wainscoting. The walls here are washed in a soft shade of white, and a herringbone-woven carpet has been laid on the staircase to match the colour scheme selected by the Spitalfields Trust. Opening from the hallway is the living room; it has a pair of six-over-six sash windows that face Turner Street, and another that looks over the leafy walled garden. There are two Georgian fireplace surrounds here, one flanked by alcoves and the other with original built-in cabinets.

Stairs descend to the lower ground floor, where the open-plan kitchen and dining room lies. On one side of the kitchen is a row of deep purple and olive-painted cabinets and a deep Belfast sink with brass taps. There is also a Fisher and Paykel drawer dishwasher. On the other side, there is a six-ring range cooker from Smeg positioned in an original fireplace. Built-in cupboards, painted red internally and with integrated lighting, flank the fireplace.

From the kitchen is a reception space used as a snug, but with potential to make for an atmospheric dining area. It is lined with timber panelling and grounded by flagstones, and has a large Portland stone fireplace surround. From here, a pair of glazed French doors open to the back garden, framing views of blooming rose and geranium. A bright utility room is also found on this floor.

Three double bedrooms and a bathroom are spread across the first and second storeys. The generous primary bedroom is on the second floor, with casement windows that frame views of Georgian streets in the immediate vicinity, stretching out towards the cityscape beyond.

There is a shower room on the ground floor and a bathroom on the first floor, both finished with neat white tiles and Burlington fixtures.

Detached from the main house, a bright, two-storey studio stretches the width of the garden. Glazed French doors can be opened to create a wonderful flow between indoors and out. The studio has a kitchenette and shower room on the lower ground floor, while on the ground floor, a bright room has a row of sash windows that face the garden. A separate external door opens to Varden Street.

The Great Outdoors

Glazed doors from the lower ground floor open to the walled rear garden. Sandstone flagstones are flanked by beds of flowers and herbs, and climbing rose weaves over an arch. The garden is a wonderfully green retreat from the city beyond, and there is plenty of space for a bistro table or a garden bench to relax and enjoy the heady scents of the abundant garden.

Just outside of the kitchen there is a flagstone patio and the house's original coal cellar. The patio is lit, and the coal cellar has plumbing, power sockets and shelves. The space is currently used as a large dry storage area for bikes, luggage and tools.

Out and About

A thriving range of traditional pubs, cafés and restaurants can be found in Whitechapel and Stepney Green. Neighbourhood favourites include Tayyabs and east London institution Rinkoff's bakery.

Bethnal Green is slightly further afield and home to institutions like E Pellicci and The Approach Tavern, joined by a new wave of bars and restaurants, including Brawn, Equal Parts and Top Cuvée. The area is home to some of London’s most exciting contemporary gallery spaces, including The Whitechapel Art Gallery, Chisenhale Gallery, Maureen Paley, Emalin, Herald Street and Carlos/Ishikawa. The Young V&A Museum is a short walk away, as is York Hall Leisure Centre and the independent Genesis Cinema.

Regents’ Canal, Columbia Road Flower Market, Brick Lane and Shoreditch are all within walking distance. The house is surrounded by some of London’s finest parks, including Mile End Park, Bethnal Green Gardens, Weaver’s Fields, Victoria Park, and the historic churchyard of St Dunstan's. Stepney Green City Farm is also close by.

From Whitechapel station, the Elizabeth line runs direct services to central London in 10 minutes and Heathrow Airport in 30 minutes. There is also an Overground line running between Clapham Junction and Highbury and Islington. Stepney Green Underground station (District and Hammersmith and City lines) is also minutes away. Shadwell DLR station is also a short walk away for easy access to Canary Wharf.

Council Tax Band: E