Tower Walk, St Katharine Dock, E1W

A truly unique, opportunity to own a house boasting massive internal spaces in the only marina in central London, adjacent to a World Heritage Site and a short walk from The City of London.

There are so few houses in this extraordinarily significant and well-connected area of London that this is a rare prospect indeed. Tower Walk is situated in St. Katharine Docks, the neighbouring property is the eleventh century Tower of London, one of the most celebrated historical sites in the world.

The docks were constructed in the 1820’s for a sky-high £2million to handle luxury goods from all over the world, including carpets, tea, spices, rum and the raw materials to manufacture perfume. The earth dug out to create St. Katharine was deposited downstream at Millbank, to form the foundations for the new suburbs of Pimlico and Belgravia.

The warehouses at St. Katharine’s were designed by Philip Hardwick and considered the most outstanding in London’s dock system. The three interlinked basins, accessed via an entrance lock from the Thames, now form a marina for 185 vessels on a twenty-acre site that brings an abundance of natural light to the house, as well as east-to-west views and a sense of space that few period buildings in the City can offer.

The docks are a private estate with no through traffic and, as a result, are profoundly quiet and secure.

The sellers tell us, ‘It wasn’t until the day we moved in that we truly appreciated the impact of the 180º views of Tower Bridge and the marina. We celebrated with a dinner party in the lounge with trestle tables put together to make a dinner table for forty guests, such is the scale of the rooms. It has been our dream home, an oasis of calm right in the heart of the greatest city in the world, with Turner’s light over the Thames thrown in.’

The current owners converted from a six-bedroom, five-bathroom house to a five-bedroom, four-bathroom to ensure that every room is spacious and light filled.

‘We loved the house but we knew it could be better. The lounge and dining room were two nice sized rooms, but we took the walls out and made it one massive reception room with 180º views from a series of quadruple windows. We turned what was the study and kitchen into a large kitchen with a wonderful westward aspect. I can tell you, Tower Bridge is not a bad view to fry your eggs to!’

‘As well as those views of Tower Bridge and the marina, on the south balcony you can start your day with breakfast and a view of the sunrise and return to it to raise a glass to the sun going down on the Thames. And for lovers of dining out, there are rich pickings in all directions: east, west, north, and south.’

‘Our favourite spots from here, are St. JOHN in Spitalfields, Moro in Exmouth Market, Brick Lane for a curry, Le Pont de la Tour and Brindisa just over the bridge, and everything else in Borough Market. It's all fantastic from this base.’

‘For the past few decades, my morning commute to the City has been a five-minute walk through the Tower of London gardens. It’s almost a case of the Beefeaters saluting me as I pass. It’s an astonishing and unique start to the working day that I never stopped appreciating.’

St Katharine Dock is located a few minutes from Tower Hill Underground Station, Tower Gateway DLR and Fenchurch Street Overground Station are also conveniently situated close by.