Kensington Gate, Kensington, W8

A substantial stucco-fronted Grade II* listed house on a sought-after garden square moments away from Hyde Park.

Stepping into the house on the ground floor, the entrance hall opens onto a formal dining room. Double doors connect this room to the open-plan kitchen, which includes an informal eating area in a glass-sided extension. This space not only offers views over the garden, but its south-facing aspect ensures the kitchen is filled with light throughout the day.

Upstairs, a grand reception room occupies the entire first floor, with French windows opening onto the front balcony. Meanwhile, a generous principal bedroom occupies the second floor, with a spacious ensuite bathroom and considerable storage space, including a walk-in wardrobe on the landing. Upstairs again, on the third floor, are three bedrooms and two bathrooms, one of them ensuite.

Downstairs, the lower ground floor features two more bedrooms and a guest WC. One of these bedrooms has access to the garden via the glass extension, while the other has separate street access. Below that, in the basement floor, is a gym with ensuite bathroom and a spacious media room.

The house is Grade II* listed and decorated in a traditional style to accentuate its historic character. For the lower storeys, this includes high ceilings, ornate cornices and panelled doors, as well as tasteful fireplaces and built-in storage. However, it has also been updated for modern living, with air conditioning throughout the main house.

The house features a paved, south-facing garden with space enough for outdoor dining, as well as potential access to the adjacent mews house. In addition, the first-floor balcony stretches across the entire width of the house, with views onto the garden square. The garden square is also open to residents, while its mature trees add to the sense of privacy and calm.

The house was once the site of the Kensington Workhouse, which inspired Charles Dickens’s celebrated novel Oliver Twist. In the mid-nineteenth century, that building was replaced by the white stucco Italianate houses which now line the square, popular with aristocrats and politicians in the late Victorian Era.

Kensington Gate remains a desirable address, both central and secluded. It is well placed for many of the neighbourhood’s excellent schools, and within walking distance of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. In addition, the world-famous museums and cultural institutions of South Kensington are within easy reach.