Althorp Road, London, SW17

This handsome Victorian house is situated on Althorp Road in the heart of ‘Bellevue Village’, in the Wandsworth Common Conservation Area.

Built as part of Smith’s Terrace in c.1869–70, in the neoclassical style, by Henry Smith, the house sits at the end of the terrace. The double-fronted lower ground and raised ground floor, makes the house an exception to others on the road and on the surrounding streets.

The house is accessed via steps to the raised ground floor, with the hall opening onto an elegant double sitting room. Bespoke joinery frames the edges of the well-proportioned room, providing space for a book collection or 'objets d'art'. A large bay window looks over the tree-lined street, and original floorboards run underfoot, with a fine marble mantelpiece providing a focal point. The rear window overlooks the pretty courtyard garden below.

Across the hallway are two rooms, part of an extension, currently used as bedrooms, but which could equally work as a studio/office or reconfigured to create an independent annexe. There is a front access at ground level onto a small south westerly patio, which provides a lovely spot to enjoy afternoon and early evening sun/sunsets. At the end of the hallway a bedroom, with a shower room and W.C. overlooks the garden.

A staircase descends to the open plan living and dining room. A sizeable space, with terracotta tiles underfoot, the room leads, via French doors onto the garden space. The rear kitchen is full of charm, with reclaimed Victorian wooden units and dresser. There is a former tradesman’s entrance to street level, with a useful storage area under the stairs. The patio garden is paved with brick herringbone and provides ample space for pots and planters and a large table, with built-in seating extending part way along the south-facing wall.

The first floor is given over entirely to the principal suite. Here, two sash windows overlook Althorp Road, with original built-in cupboards flanking the bed. The bathroom, complete with bath and shower overlooks the garden. There is a large loft and eaves space which could be converted, subject to the necessary consents, to create further bedroom/bathrooms.

Althorp Road is well located in a prime residential area of Wandsworth Common, known locally as ‘Bellevue Village,’ home to an eclectic range of restaurants and cafes, including Chez Bruce, Gazette, The Good Earth, Flotsam & Jetsam, Hyde Farm. There are many good pubs and bars in the area, including The Hope, The Althorp and Brinkleys. Northcote Road is a short walk away. For green space, Wandsworth Common, with its pitches and tennis courts, is at the end of the road. Clapham Common and Tooting Bec Common, with its popular lido and running track are close by. Wandsworth Common Overground station is on the doorstep, providing transport links to Victoria via Clapham Common. Nearby Tooting Bec provides access to the Underground on the Northern Line.