Property of the Week: We visit the Clerkenwell house that’s half tech-savvy palace and half Georgian period treasure
If you love the charm of a period townhouse, but want all the convenience and comforts of modern living, this completely remodelled house in the heart of Clerkenwell might be for you.
It appears to be a completely typical three-storey Georgian house from the outside, but there’s a lot going on behind those closed doors. The family who live here moved in in 2004 and they only just finished construction last year, creating a unique half-period, half contemporary home.
While a step through the front door is a step back in time – with reclaimed timber flooring, refurbished fireplaces, original window shutters and even a reclaimed prison door from the Clerkenwell House of Detention – the back of the house is a step into the future. A cherry blossom tree is the only thing separating the two, climbing up the brick back of the house from a small courtyard.
The owners have doubled the size of the property – and more than doubled the value – so it spans 5,570sqft, adding three roof terraces with views over St Paul’s, The Shard and the rooftops of Clerkenwell.
A loft extension has been turned into a his’n’hers master bedroom suite on the third floor, and a self-contained one-bedroom apartment – suitable for an au pair or private tenant – occupies the lower ground floor, with its own private entrance.
Digging down into the basement, there’s now a swimming pool with Jacuzzi function, a glass-fronted sauna, air-conditioned cinema and, inside that room, a secret hatch down to a temperature-controlled wine cellar.
The family are moving away to be closer to the children’s schools, but they’re equally certain they’ve got grand designs for their next property project.
Price: £7,999,950. Call Hamptons International on 020 7236 8398