“A rare example of Bermondsey’s 18th-century interior architecture”
“A rare example of Bermondsey’s 18th-century interior architecture”
This handsome Grade II-listed townhouse on Bermondsey Street is an exceptionally rare find, not only for its meticulously preserved Georgian features but also for its sought-after city-centre location. Extending over 1,700 sq ft, the house spans four storeys with windows on all sides, ensuring an excellent quality of light throughout the day. Care of a sensitive renovation, the prevailing aesthetic of the interiors celebrates the tactility of the original features, exposing rough-hewn floorboards and evocative, brittle wallpaper, alongside the finest contemporary craftsmanship. Views from an intimate roof terrace sketch a quintessential London scene.
Setting the Scene
This extraordinary house is part of a mid-18th-century terraced row of historic buildings in Southwark, designated as Grade II-listed since 1970. Bermondsey Street began over a thousand years ago as an ancient causeway and pathway crossing the marshes from Southwark and London Bridge down to Bermondsey Abbey (modern-day Bermondsey Square). By the 19th century, Bermondsey was the country’s primary centre for tanneries, and by the late 20th century, Georgian terraces such as this were repurposed into antique shops and art galleries – shaping modern-day Bermondsey’s eclectic cultural scene.
The Grand Tour
The house is accessed directly from Bermondsey Street. It presents a beautiful, understated façade to the street with full-height sash windows and off-white render. A charming, green-painted wood-panelled shop frontage occupies the ground floor, and a private door leads to the entrance on the first floor.
Upon entry, the kitchen, dining and living spaces are arranged in a lateral layout that allows abundant light to carry from one side to the other. With incredible care, the home's original features have been restored, replaced and refurbished; original dark-stained oak floorboards run underfoot, and peeled-back layers of centuries-old wallpaper are evocative of an era. At the front of the house is a study room, with two tall sash windows with their original wooden shutters, overlooking Bermondsey Street below, and an original cast-iron fireplace.
At the centre is the kitchen, with an AGA range cooker positioned in front of a stainless-steel splashback. The units and countertops are made of solid wood – matched to the floorboards below – and include a dishwasher and bespoke shelving, while a large protruding ceramic sink creates a kind of breakfast bar with space for stools. The craftsmanship is excellent, with thoughtful details added throughout.
The adjacent living room sits beneath a pitched roof with exposed trusses and patinated plaster walls that add a rich textural element. Glazed doors open onto a private terrace, well oriented to capture light throughout the day.
A beautifully timeworn staircase rises to the upper floors, occupied by the bedrooms. The principal bedroom is at the back of the house, with a tall sash window, original floorboards, and an en suite shower room with a hand-carved wooden sink. Opposite, a large bathroom has a freestanding bath, a walk-in shower, and another wooden sink.
Above are the two further bedrooms, each one equally brimming with character: exposed beams overhead, exposed plaster walls, and wood panelling book-matched to the original floorboards. A discrete staircase leads up to an attic bedroom tucked beneath the roofline. A vast skylight above the stairwell brings in natural light, while drawing out the wonderful rough textures and tones of the blue plaster wall.
The Great Outdoors
A private terrace at the rear, accessed from the living room, provides an excellent outdoor dining area in warmer months, or a secluded space to sit and read while remaining close to the bustling street below.
Out and About
In recent years Bermondsey Street has become one of London’s most desirable areas. A hub for the fashion, culinary and creative industries, Bermondsey Street is home to the White Cube Gallery, Casse Croute, The Giddy Grocer, and Pizzaro, as well as numerous other cafes, bars and restaurants.
Maltby Street, less than five minutes’ walk from the house, is home to an excellent weekly food market, as well as 40 Maltby Street and the natural wine importer Gergovie Wines. Across the street is the green space of Tanner Street Park, which also has free public tennis courts.
Many of London’s most illustrious cultural institutions including Tate Modern, the Southbank Centre and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre are a short walk from the house. Borough Market is less than ten minutes’ on foot and houses some of London’s finest traders of fruit, vegetables and fresh produce.
London Bridge station is around five minutes’ walk for Northern and Jubilee underground lines and National Rail services nationwide. The City is a fifteen-minute walk across London Bridge.
Council Tax Band: G
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