Ravenscourt Road, London W6

This refined Victorian house in Ravenscourt Park, west London, is bookended by two beautiful blooming gardens. It lies within the Ravenscourt and Starch Green conservation area, close to the area’s namesake Underground station and wonderfully restorative park. Inside, original features sit alongside marvellous later additions that include Colefax and Fowler papers and thoughtfully reinstated fireplaces.



Setting the Scene



Ravenscourt Park began as part of Palingswick Manor, which, by the 12th century, was surrounded by a moat fed by Stamford Brook. The name Ravenscourt came from the land’s mid-18th-century owner, Thomas Corbett, and was a pun on the raven on his coat of arms.



Later, in the 19th century, master builder George Scott bought the area and began development, during which many of the Victorian and Georgian homes (such as this) around the park’s periphery were built. Following a campaign against prospective building works, Ravenscourt Park was bought by the Metropolitan Board of Works and was made a public park for all to enjoy.



The Grand Tour



A wrought-iron gate opens to the front garden, which has been beautifully planted with a variety of shrubs and flowers, including camellia, roses and a magnificent flowering cherry tree. The home’s stock-brick frontage rises behind, partly covered by a mature wisteria. The home’s deep-red front door sits within a stucco doorcase, beneath a projecting porch on smooth columns.



Entry is to a befittingly grand hallway, with flagstones underfoot and original cornicing above. Colefax and Fowler wallpaper has been applied here and continues through the stairwell. On the left is a dining room with beautiful Farrow and Ball wallpaper and oak-and-terracotta floors. A replica ceiling rose has been added, and an original sash window with shutters draws plenty of light in. On one side is a cast-iron fireplace with a working gas fire and an elaborate reinstated marble fireplace.



Double doors open to the kitchen, where high ceilings create an exaggerated sense of volume. Granite countertops rest above red cherrywood cabinets, and there is a gas range cooker installed on one side. Through an open archway is an inviting reception room/conservatory, with a glass roof that allows light to pour in. Glazed doors at the far end open to the garden, and there is a handy utility space on the right.



A sweeping staircase with original banister ascends to the first floor, where there are two more interconnected living spaces. At the front is an exquisite living room with intricate original cornicing and a reinstated gas fireplace. Double doors open to a library at the rear, a charming space framed by bookcases and with a window that overlooks the garden below. Coir carpeting runs through both.



Up a half-landing is the first of four bedrooms, which sits next to a smart WC. There are three bedrooms on the top floor; all have sash windows and a unique character created by a rich roster of paint shades and decorative wallpaper. There is a shower and WC at the rear, next to a door that opens to the ocean-blue bathroom. A double-butterfly loft above provides plenty of storage space.



Outdoor Space



Both the front and rear gardens have been carefully cultivated through the years, producing distinct spaces that bloom with visual interest throughout the year. From the conservatory is a brick-laid patio, which gives way to a long lawn bordered by plenty of plantings. Here, flowers include star jasmine, roses, camelia, bluebells and tulips, while trees include rare specimens (polylepis, Wollemi pine) and an acer, mulberry, apricot, magnolia grandiflora and medlar.



Out and About



Ravenscourt Road sits opposite Ravenscourt Park, which spans 13 hectares and contains wildlife habitats, tennis and basketball courts, a football pitch, numerous children’s play areas, and a charming café. Close by is the wonderful W6 Garden Centre and Café, an offshoot of the N1 Garden Centre, filled with rows of herbaceous perennials, herbs, climbers, shrubs and citrus trees outside, as well as a bountiful jungle room with towering tropical plants tucked away under one of the exposed brick arches.



Hammersmith village is nearby, where the Lyric Theatre can be found. There are also fantastic pubs and restaurants here, as well as by the river, which lies just to the south. The iconic River Café from Ruth Rodgers and Rose Gray remains a local culinary landmark. Riverside Studios sits close by and a new Curzon Cinema is due to open in the Hammersmith Civic Centre, just around the corner, in the coming months.



King Street becomes Chiswick High Road to the west, where there are scores of excellent restaurants and rows of great shops leading up to Stamford Brook and Turnham Green.



There are plenty of wonderful schools nearby, including Latymer Upper School and Prep, St Paul’s School, Godolphin and Latymer Girls’ School and Fulham Prep. Ravenscourt Park Preparatory is moments away.



Transit links are aplenty, with the District line running from Ravenscourt Park and the Hammersmith and City and Picadilly lines from Hammersmith give great access to the City and Heathrow. Bus routes also connect to Chelsea and Battersea.



Council Tax Band: H