Vicarage Road, Leyton, London, E10

Spacious and welcoming, with a lovely open-plan layout and a long, sunny garden, this one-bedroom flat scores highly for location, too, being close to both Tube and Overground services, green spaces, and the ever-popular Francis Road.

The property occupies the lower ground floor of a handsome Victorian terraced town house, with a well-kept brick exterior and white-painted stonework to the windows. Shielded by a wall topped with cherry laurel, a set of terracotta-painted steps leads down past the main staircase to a covered porch and your private front door.

STEP INSIDE – FLEXIBLE LIVING

In the hallway, fresh white walls pair with warm-toned engineered-wood flooring that flows throughout the main living areas. There’s space for coats, alongside a covered radiator and a factory-style pendant light.

To your left, the primary bedroom feels cosy and calm. The window is fitted with full-height louvred shutters, while colour blocking in coral adds cheerful interest to the walls. Other details include a pendant light, a covered radiator, and plenty of space for storage.

Returning to the hallway, the wood flooring continues into the large, open-plan living, dining room, and kitchen. A versatile space, it’s filled with light from wide double-glazed windows and a central glazed door to the garden (all fitted with bespoke roller blinds). There’s a pair of covered radiators, while pendant lights zone the dining and seating areas, and bespoke floating shelves fill the alcoves, which are picked out in a deep blue 111 Matt by Lick.

White floor tiles run underfoot in the kitchen, where sky-blue cabinetry with stylish black bar handles contrasts nicely with the granite-look worktop and white, glossy tiled splashback. A stainless-steel one-and-a-half-bowl sink and drainer with a chrome mixer tap sits below the window looking out to the garden, while scaffolding-style open shelving works well for both storage and display. The compact range oven with gas hob is by Belling, and there’s space and plumbing for a freestanding fridge-freezer and a washing machine. The boiler is tucked away here as well.

A door opens to the modern bathroom. Here, attractive grey patterned floor tiles meet walls clad in full-height white metro tiling, rising to a shiplap-panelled ceiling. Lit by a frosted window, there’s a bath with a shower and a frameless glass screen; a concealed cistern loo; a grey wood-topped vanity with a countertop sink and a chrome mixer tap; and a grey towel rail radiator.

OUTDOORS – SPACE & SUNSHINE

Stepping out of the kitchen in the mornings is a treat, as the terracotta-tiled lower patio serves as a wonderful breakfast spot, with space for a bistro table and chairs. To the side, a covered brick outhouse with whitewashed walls and a wooden bench currently serves as a pizza station, but would also offer extra storage space if needed.

Stone steps then lead up to the garden itself. Extending 39 feet and surrounded by timber fencing and brick walls, it’s a fabulous suntrap from spring through to autumn, with carefully landscaped areas for relaxing, growing and entertaining.

An initial slab patio with a handy new timber shed first leads to an artificial lawn, then to a second paved seating area. Brick-edged beds to the side and rear are filled with mature plants, including lavender and salvia. Birds regularly sing in the neighbouring trees, and flocks of parakeets often visit in the summer.

A NOTE FROM THE OWNERS

‘This has been the perfect first home for us – cosy, but with plenty of space. We love hosting, and in the winter, the open plan living space works well for dinner parties, while in the summer, we have endless barbecues. The big, sunny, private garden is what drew us to this flat, and in the warmer months, it becomes like another room where we eat, hang out and even work. We’ve really gotten into gardening, growing herbs and veg to eat with our barbecue dinners! We also love the community here – the other people in the building are very kind and friendly, and we have lovely neighbours.’

GETTING AROUND

Vicarage Road occupies a fantastically convenient spot in Leyton, just an 8-minute walk from Leyton Midland Road station and around 16 minutes’ walk from Leyton Underground station (Central line – 24 hours at weekends).

IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD

Tilbury Road is around the corner, with some of the hottest food and drink openings in London. You’ll find much to choose from, including Chop Shop Tavern for great pints and paloma cocktails on tap, Wins Bakery for delicious sausage rolls and pies, and Chunk Provisions for incredible ice cream, with Conde Nast recently claiming it could be some of the best in the capital. The current owners particularly recommend Mola Cafe for its legendary smoothies.

William the Fourth is a favourite pub that recently won the National Pizza Awards.

Popular Francis Road is just an 8-minute stroll away, where you can find Yardarm for coffee and cinnamon buns, Dreamhouse Records for vinyl and beer, and Phlox for books and wine. The KERB market on Saturdays is also worth checking out.

Local sellers regularly recommend Burnt Smokehouse and Swirl wine bar, alongside Gravity Well Taproom, Leyton Calling, Bread & Oregano, and Unity Café. Other favourites include Leyton Engineer for amazing burgers, nearby and Patchwork or Blondies for pizza. For the health-conscious, options include Fit As Leyton, Pause Yoga and Pilates studio, and Hotpod Yoga.

Brisbane Road is just a short walk away – home to Leyton Orient FC, known for its friendly fan base, warm club culture, and the well-known local pub, the Coach & Horses. Local sellers also rave about V&A East Storehouse – a standout cultural presence in the area – and suggest walking there via the Olympic Park and browsing the amazing archive collections.

Just five minutes away on the Suffragette line, Blackhorse Road’s beer mile is filled with breweries and fantastic food, including pizza from It's Not Big Dough, barbecue by Black Cactus and small plates at Renegade Urban Winery.

Some beautiful open green spaces within walking distance include Abbotts Park, Brewster Road Park, Hollow Pond, Wanstead Flats and Park. Through Jubilee Park, a short walk away, is Hackney Marshes, which is perfect for long runs. And you can hop on the 158 and be in the beautiful Walthamstow Wetlands in under half an hour.

SCHOOLS

Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’, Riverley and Willow Brook Primaries are around a ten-minute walk, with Vicarage Road within the catchment for both highly popular schools. George Mitchell Primary and Secondary (rated ‘Good’) is also just seven minutes on foot. Meanwhile, Excel Kids Day Nursery, Barclay Primary School (‘Outstanding’) and Leyton Sixth Form (‘Good’) are all reachable on foot in around 20-30 minutes.