Property Of The Week

GRADE II LISTED COTTAGE BRINGS CHOCOLATE-BOX CHARM TO THE WEST LONDON MARKET

For those seeking a quiet life but without sacrificing the benefits of an urban lifestyle, a rarely-available Grade II listed cottage has just come to the market on Rowan Road in London’s W6. This attractive property has three bedrooms and boasts a calm surrounding with close proximity to central Hammersmith. The home is moments from the former home of prominent literary figure, Leigh Hunt, and is available for sale for £1.45 million through local experts, Finlay Brewer.

The 1,055 sq. ft. home is nestled within a row of early to mid 19^th century linked villas, distinctive through the charming, country-style exterior. After entering through a pleasant garden and front door, a utility room and cloakroom appear immediately on the right, while a generous, welcoming hallway provides access to the main reception room. The reception possesses a limestone fireplace and partially stained-glass French windows which flood the room with light, leading out to the paved front garden. To the rear of the ground floor, the open plan kitchen/breakfast room boasts a Tecnik range cooker and an additional fireplace, offering a relaxing space to hosts guests or spend time as a family.

The first floor is accessed by stairs, with the master bedroom overlooking the street at the front of the property. A second similarly-sized bedroom offers vistas of the garden, while an additional bedroom would make an ideal nursery or bedroom for a younger child. The spacious family bathroom has a large shower and double-ended rolltop bath with silver claw feet. It also offers an abundance of storage space.

The cottage is among a terrace of other listed cottages; all are two storeys, built using yellow stock brick with shallow-hipped slate roofs. A neighbouring cottage in this terrace was home to Leigh Hunt, a renowned essayist who lived on the street from 1851 until his death in 1859, and was often visited by his literary friends, including Charles Dickens and Nathaniel Hawthorne. He was widely acknowledged to be the inspiration behind the character Harold Skimpole in Dickens’ novel, Bleak House. He was also editor of intellectual journal, The Examiner, a position which led to him being imprisoned for calling the Prince Regent a fat "Adonis" of fifty.

Paul Cosgrove, Director at Finlay Brewer, comments, “This is a truly exceptional home, providing an immaculate interior within a historic setting. The cottages on Rowan Road are incredibly sought-after and rarely come onto the market, so I would urge potential buyers to take advantage of the benefits of a period home in an excellent location sooner rather than later.”

Positioned in a prime location, Rowan Road benefits from a hard-to-come-by peaceful atmosphere while offering unbeatable access to Hammersmith tube station (Piccadilly, Circle, District and Hammersmith & City Lines) and its surrounding amenities. Brook Green is also just moments away, with some of London’s leading schools, including St Paul’s Girls’ School, Bute House and Ecole Francaise Jacques Prevert.

Viewings are strictly by appointment only, for more information on 24 Rowan Road, contact sole agents Finlay Brewer on 020 7371 4171 or visit: www.finlaybrewer.co.uk