Gordon Avenue, Stanmore, HA7

Herondale is quietly tucked away behind tree-lined Gordon Avenue, one of the most desirable streets of Stanmore close to the centre of the village. Concealed from view down a leafy lane, this light-filled home is set amongst beautiful landscaped gardens in a peaceful haven surrounded by birdsong, a country home only 30 minutes from Bond Street on the Jubilee line and close to some of England’s most sought-after schools.

With fabulously decorative wrought iron and leadlight windows and a facade of hand-made red brick and terracotta, Herondale exemplifies the moment when English country house tradition met with the wealth of the Industrial Revolution and the aesthetic of the Arts and Crafts movement. Built in 1891 in a picturesque Domestic Revival style, it is one of the most beautiful creations of the great Victorian architect Alfred Waterhouse created in a Norman Shaw manner he used for his later houses.

The home unfurls across airy, light-filled spaces with high ceilings and generous windows. A spartan contemporary aesthetic lets Herondale’s architectural beauty shine with all of the original floors, doors, fireplaces, cornices, delightful architraves and ceiling medallions exquisitely preserved while reinvigorating it to the highest standards to create a pared down, serene family home.

The Buildings of England, the renowned architectural reference series by Sir Nikolaus Pevsner that document the most interesting houses and buildings across the country, classifies Herondale as a late work by Alfred Waterhouse whose designs blended elements of classical Romanesque style such as rounded arches and ornate columns with perfect hierarchy of structural proportion. Alfred Waterhouse was considered to be Victorian Britain’s leading architect. His buildings were of such utility and high specification that many survive as landmarks in British towns and cities. The houses he built were solid and comfortable, with effective use of space and light.

The porch opens to the entrance hall with underfloor heating and Italian terrazzo tiles that extend to a guest WC. Wedding doors with stained glass and leadlights open to a spacious airy foyer with original scrubbed pitch pine floors, Romanesque rounded arches, ornate joinery and columns.

Two main reception rooms with oak parquet flooring and beautiful plasterwork lead from the foyer. Honey-coloured grass cloth paper brings richness and depth to the walls in the dual aspect main reception room which has views of the mostly south-facing garden that envelops the house. A glass door set into a bay opens to the garden terrace and a beautiful Carrara marble chimneypiece with a working fire adorns the room. The adjacent living room is filled with light from south- and west-facing dual aspect windows and has a white-painted original fireplace.

Tumbled marble flagstones connect the kitchen to a spacious dining room in an airy orangery with French doors opening to the garden. The bespoke hand-painted kitchen cabinetry is by Mark Wilkinson, made from solid oak. The kitchen has a rangemaster, butler’s sink, Quooker hot water tap, pot filler and Miele appliances. A working fire with original faience tiles is centred between fitted dressers.

The first floor's spacious landing is flooded with light from a vast stained-glass window. It leads to three bedrooms that share a contemporary family bathroom with a walk-in shower, Italian Novello basin and polished chrome brassware. The airy principal bedroom has dual aspect west- and south-facing windows overlooking the garden and the courtyard, original fireplace and bespoke fitted His & Her’s closets with integrated LED lighting. The light-filled en-suite bathroom is sleek and modern with Artelinea opalite glass sink from Firunze, a frameless over-sized Roman walk-in shower, a free-standing Clearwater oval bath, polished stainless steel Crosswater brassware and a luxurious floor-standing heated towel rail.

The third floor has an enormous 25 feet-deep double-height room with a soaring vaulted ceiling and arched beams which can be used as a reception room, family room or a magnificent bedroom. Originally an artists’s studio, the room features a double-height window through which soft northernly light filters in. The room has dual aspect windows, a fireplace and a swing. There is an adjacent service room and a walk-in laundry cabinet.

Outside

The enchanting garden is perfumed in the summer with rambling roses, dahlias, peonies, jasmine, lilies, penstemon, verbena, honeysuckle and clouds of purple geraniums that spill onto the paths, plus an abundance of fennel, dill, lavender, mint, sage and thyme. Apple trees provide blossom in spring and harvest in autumn. A woodland garden flanks the driveway with spring-flowering rhododendrons and azaleas underplanted with an abundance of hydrangeas and hostas. The driveway leads to a courtyard laid with a grid pattern of terracotta bricks responding to house’s facade. Multiple spots for entertaining include a newly-built Victorian glasshouse with a pitched roof and tiled floor thoughtfully designed to complement the home's architecture. The glasshouse, built on knee-deep brick walls and with humidity-boosting automatic roof vent openers, is a retreat for all seasons and a place for pottering. Across the courtyard a light-filled artist's studio with oak floorboards and Crittal-style south-facing French doors has lovely views of the majestic Corsican pine trees. A separate shed provides storage for equipment for the garden, which has an extensive automatic irrigation system with pop-up sprinklers and drip feeder network.

Situation

Herondale is conveniently located for local amenities and is within minutes' drive of M25, M1, A1, A41,10 miles to Heathrow airport and 20 minutes to Luton. Stanmore station (Jubilee Line) is within walking distance, with fast access to central London (Bond Street 30 minutes away) and into the City on Metropolitan line. Recreational facilities include Stanmore Golf Club just across the road and David Lloyd Bushey, Hartsbourne Country Club and The Grove close by. North London Collegiate is a short walk away, Haberdashers, St Margaret's and Merchant Taylors are nearby.