I come bearing a picture-perfect property that has immediately catapulted to the very top of my Christmas wish-list (don’t ask, don’t get, and all that). The property in question is an incredibly rare and historic home, that was originally built to serve as a Dockmaster’s House. It’s perched at the entrance of St Katharine Docks and is one of very small number of private properties situated directly on the River Thames.
The outrageously gorgeous gaff boasts what is quite possibly the most gasp-inducing view in the capital city, and it’s recently been put up for sale for the very first time in its current form. Now, as I’m sure you can imagine – a piece of real estate this ravishing does come with a rather hefty price-tag. How hefty, I hear you ask? Over £15 million. Blimey.
The history of the property
The building was designed by the highly-esteemed architect, Philip Hardwick, and built in 1827. As I mentioned, it originally served as a residence for the Dockmaster (the person responsible for conducting all the dock-related business), but became a private property when Antony Armstong-Jones (AKA the first Earl of Snowdon) saved it from demolition. The property was initially two separate buildings, but during a redesign, the main house was combined with the adjacent Toll House. It now stands as one humongous pad, and this is the first time since that redesign that the house is up for grabs.
Inside the property
The building has been considerably modernised and extended over the years, but plenty of original features remain. The historic gem is also surrounded by water on two sides, giving it a surprising amount of privacy considering its prime riverside position. It’s been listed with the property pros over at Carter Jonas and spans 4969 square-feet across five floors. It’s also frequently hailed as the ‘prettiest historic country house in central London’, and it’s not too difficult to see why.
The rooms offering the most spectacular views are the drawing room and the dining room directly beneath. These are the rooms that look out onto the river, and offer jaw-dropping views of Tower Bridge and The Shard. Throughout the rest of the home, there’s four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a library, a study, a dressing room, a roof terrace and a Georgian wine cellar (complete with an environmentally-controlled atmosphere).
The picturesque pad is also home to a pretty impressive garden. Designed by the very same landscape gardener that designed the glorious gardens at Kensington Palace (Todd Longstaffe-Gowan); the outdoor space boasts a parterre, an abundance of plants, a raised terrace, an open-sided rotunda, an intimate riverside folly, an ornamental pond, and a huge open space for activities. What more could you possibly need, hey?
You can have a peruse of the full property listing here.