This characterful three-bedroom Victorian home sits on a residential street in Telegraph Hill, south-east London. Sensitively updated by its current owners, the house is awash with colour and pattern. Original period features remain in place and include bay and sash windows, elaborate cornicing and grand fireplaces. A lush garden is tucked at the rear of the house, its borders planted with mature plum, fig and cherry trees. Nunhead station is a six-minute walk with direct routes to Victoria and Blackfriars, while Queens Road Peckham rail station is a 13-minute walk away for services to London Bridge.



Setting the Scene



Gellatly Road sits within the Telegraph Hill conservation area, named for the late 18th-century semaphore station that once stood at the top of the hill. These optical systems used relay stations to transmit information by line of sight, with some lines carrying news of significant events like Wellington's victory at Waterloo. The semaphore system was removed in 1823, when the new railway system more commonly conveyed messages.



This distinguished home forms part of a neat Victorian terrace on Gellatly Road, its stock-brick façade punctuated by a series of period sash windows.



The Grand Tour



A neat tiled path leads up to a dusty pink front door, framed by a stuccoed doorcase with intricate mouldings. Entry is to a welcoming entrance hall, its soaring ceilings giving the first indication of the house’s generous proportions. Walls are papered in an ornate floral pattern from Morris & Co., while original pine floorboards underfoot lead into an expansive double reception room.



Toward the front of the plan, a sitting area with a cast-iron fireplace has been washed in emerald green. A large bay window fills the space with light, while a picture rail, elaborate cornicing and a ceiling rose are found overhead. From here, a set of full-height painted timber doors reveals a midnight-blue dining area with built-in shelving. A period fireplace with pretty floral tiling occupies a central position, and a set of original French doors with stained glass detailing opens onto the garden.



A generous kitchen unfolds at the rear, its sleek white cabinetry topped with custom grey work surfaces. Parts of the wall are adorned with a light pink splashback with Bert & May tiles. There is a Samsung gas oven, Bosch hob, integrated Smeg dishwasher and an alcove space for a large fridge-freezer. To one side, a bay window allows light to pour into the room with a dining area set beneath, while a large picture window provides additional light.



Outside the kitchen, there is a neat curtained pantry alcove with open shelving, with a guest WC opposite. It has a marble-tiled floor, a Burlington washstand, and half-panelled walls finished with a playful Fornasetti wallpaper.



An atmospheric timber-framed conservatory sits adjacent, its roof constructed from reeded panels. Its walls have been painted in a deep green hue, and a set of glazed doors creates a seamless connection with the garden beyond. Underfloor heating allows year-round use as a winter garden room.



On the first floor, the principal bedroom is illuminated by light that pours in through two west-facing sash windows. It has an original fireplace, fitted storage and a picture rail traces its walls. There are two additional double bedrooms, each with leafy views of the rear garden.



A shared bathroom with underfloor heating is accessed via a striking glazed door. It has a bathtub with a rain shower, a sash window and smart blue tiling.



A generous attic, the cellar on the lower ground floor, and ample built-in cupboards in the hallway provide additional storage space.



The Great Outdoors



A wonderful garden with canopies of greenery extends more than 20 meters from the conservatory at the rear of the house, its borders planted with perennials, plum, cherry and fig trees. A lawned area, a wildlife pond and a shed are found at the end of the garden, and a large paved area provides opportunities for outdoor dining in the summer months. There's also a raised bed for vegetable planting and a discreet composting area.



At the front of the house, neat privet hedging creates a sense of privacy and remove.



Out and About



Gellatly Road, with its soaring views of the City skyline, is excellently located between the thriving areas of Queens Road Peckham and New Cross. The area is chock-full of highly regarded restaurants, bars, cafes and pubs, including Blackbird Bakery, the award-winning Skehan's pub, D4100 pizzeria, gastropub The Earl of Derby, and Peckham Cellars. New Cross is home to a great selection of restaurants, including The Rosemary, The Rose Inn and The Old Library; café Corner is a much-loved local favourite. For cultural activities, the brilliant Goldsmiths Contemporary CCA is close at hand.



The area boasts ample green space, including the popular Nunhead Cemetery - one of London’s Magnificent Seven established during the Victorian era - and Peckham Rye, both located a short walk away. Just up the street is Telegraph Hill Park, a 10-acre late-Victorian public park formally opened in 1895. The dog-friendly upper section of the park offers captivating views over the city and newly refurbished tennis courts. The lower park offers a weekly farmer's market and an immensely popular children's play club set next to a well-equipped playground.



Nearby Nunhead Lane has a village-like feel, with a greengrocer, an excellent fishmonger, deli, a café and a community centre by AOC Architecture. Nunhead Gardener, an atmospheric garden nursery, is tucked under the railway arches by Nunhead station. Slightly further afield, Bellenden Road has become a centre for some excellent independent restaurants, bars, and shops, including Artusi, The Begging Bowl and Flock & Herd butchers.



The Bussey Building, off Rye Lane, hosts an active and varied programme of yoga/dance classes and workshops, along with a residency from the Royal Court Theatre. Peckham Levels hosts street food, bars and cafes, along with live music. During the summer months, the roof of this former car park has art exhibitions and panoramic views from Frank's Cafe.



Highly regarded Haberdashers' Hatcham Free School, Edmund Waller and John Stainer primary schools are all nearby, while Haberdashers' Hatcham College secondary school is also a short walk away.



Travel options are excellent; Nunhead station is a six-minute walk with direct services to Victoria in 16 minutes, and the Thameslink to Blackfriars (18 minutes) as well as King's Cross and beyond. Queens Road Peckham rail station is a 13-minute walk away, with services to London Bridge in approximately eight minutes. Overground (Windrush line) services run to Dalston Junction via Canada Water (Jubilee line) in approximately 30 minutes, and to Clapham Junction in 20 minutes. There are also numerous bus routes in the area.



Council Tax Band: D