Clarence Place, Clapton, Hackney, London, E5

A rare four-bedroom Georgian terrace within the Grade II-listed row of Clarence Place, built between 1816 and 1820 as country houses when Hackney was still a collection of villages. Arranged over four floors, the house is rich in period detail, with sash windows, exposed beams, wide timber floorboards, and a private garden to the rear.

INSIDE

Set behind a pretty front garden, the elegant brick façade is defined by tall sash windows with arched detailing at ground level, typical of early Georgian domestic architecture.

The lower ground floor retains much of the house’s original fabric, including exposed ceiling beams and the Georgian three-larder system, now cleverly reimagined as shower, wardrobe and utility space. Black-and-white tiled floors give a timeless graphic edge, while an open fireplace with wood-burning stove sits within an exposed brick surround. These rooms — once the original dry and wet kitchens — are now used as a study and a spare bedroom with en suite. Discreet under-stair storage and cloakroom facilities complete this level, which has independent access and the potential to be converted into a self-contained flat.

On the raised ground floor, the kitchen and dining room sits at the rear, with cabinetry painted in soft green tones, complemented by sash windows that frame leafy garden views. From here, a door opens directly to the rear garden. At the front, a second reception provides a cosy snug, ideal as a quieter retreat.
Accessed from the ground floor, the garden extends to around 35 ft and is planted with mature trees and shrubs, creating a leafy green haven. A paved terrace nearest the house offers an ideal spot for outdoor dining. At the rear, a gated entrance leads onto Athlone Close, providing easy bicycle access and the option to rent a nearby garage for additional storage.

The first floor is home to the main reception room — a generous, light-filled space with tall sash windows, original pulley shutters, and wide timber floorboards. A family bathroom with roll-top bath and an adjoining utility area complete this level.

The second floor houses two further double bedrooms, both with sash windows and stripped wood floors. From the top floor, views stretch across treetops towards the Victorian warehouse opposite, with distant glimpses of the Gherkin in the City.

Two substantial loft spaces (combined approx. 364 sq ft / 33.8 sq m) provide exceptional storage. One is accessed via the landing with a roof window for ventilation and easy access to the original Georgian M-shaped valley roof, while the other — currently used as a children’s playroom — is entered via the second bedroom through a drop-down ladder.

NEIGHBOURHOOD & CONNECTIONS

Clarence Place sits in a peaceful pocket of Clapton, just minutes from Hackney Downs, five minutes from the greenbelt landscapes of Hackney Marshes and the River Lea.
For food and drink, the options are endless. Within minutes are Mare Street’s cafés and shops, while Chatsworth Road — with its family-friendly atmosphere, farmers’ market, bakeries and delis — is a short stroll away. Neighbourhood favourites include local pubs The Star by Hackney Downs and The Crooked Billet, while highly acclaimed dining can be found nearby at Mambow, My Neighbours The Dumplings, and Michelin-starred Casa Fofo in E8.

Families benefit from an excellent choice of schools, with the house lying within the catchment for three Outstanding-rated secondary academies (Mossbourne, Clapton Girls, and Petchey) and three Outstanding primaries (Southwold, St John & St James, and Shacklewell), all within a few minutes’ walk.

Transport links are superb: Hackney Central and Hackney Downs stations are both five minutes away, giving swift access to Liverpool Street and central London. Numerous buses serve the West End, Victoria, Islington and the City.

HISTORY & ARCHITECTURE

Clarence Place forms part of the Clapton Square Conservation Area, protected under the 1931 London Squares Preservation Act. The square itself, developed in 1816, is the oldest in Hackney and considered its historic centre. Homes here were originally designed for senior merchants, officers and financial brokers, forming an upmarket residential enclave.
The pavement outside still retains a rare double carriage stone, once used for mounting and dismounting horse-drawn carriages — Hackney’s original ‘cabs’. Local lore also suggests that Vladimir Lenin briefly lived in the square in 1905.
Today, Clapton Square remains one of Hackney’s most characterful and family-friendly areas, centred around a public garden with children’s playground, wildflower beds, and a 19th-century drinking fountain donated by Howard Morley in 1894