Forest Drive, London E11

This impeccable four-bedroom double-fronted Victorian home sits on a quiet residential street in leafy Leytonstone, east London. Sensitively updated by its current owners in collaboration with designer Rachel Allen, the house retains many period features, including tall bay windows and cast-iron fireplaces. Interiors have been picked out in a soft palette of colour and pattern, and a lush garden at the rear is home to a garage with an attached music room/home office. The green expanses of Hollow Ponds, part of the wider Epping Forest, are a short walk away, and the Central line is also easily accessible.



Setting the Scene



With its roots in the 14th century, Leytonstone remained a largely rural area until the railway was built in the mid-19th century, transforming it into a suburban town with good transport links to central London. The area is surrounded by greenery, with the ancient Epping Forest close at hand.



This house forms part of a neat Victorian terrace, its windows and front door framed with neat stuccoed detailing. Inside, original features include cast-iron fireplaces, neat cornicing and bay and sash windows.



The Grand Tour



A smart front door with painted glass panelling is framed by an ornate stuccoed doorcase. On entry, a light-filled entrance hall opens onto a grand double reception room, its soaring ceilings traced by intricate cornicing. Tall sash windows at the front fill the space with natural light, and there is a fireplace with original marble surround. Both rooms have a ceiling rose and picture rails, and a set of French doors opens onto the garden at the rear. Walls have been washed in Morandi Yellow by Atelier Ellis.



Across the hall is a voluminous open-plan kitchen and dining area, finished in Wimborne White by Farrow & Ball. A bay window at the front looks towards the street, while French doors in the kitchen unfold onto the garden. The dining area has original timber floorboards, and a log burner sits in a cast-iron fireplace. A deVol kitchen is lined with warm quarry-tiled flooring. It is home to a Lacanche range cooker, a pantry cupboard, an Estremoz marble-topped island and French doors onto the garden. A guest WC is finished with tongue-and-groove panelling and Sweet Pea wallpaper by Cole & Son.



A staircase with carved newel post and sisal runner ascends to the first floor, where there are three large double bedrooms. The principal is bathed in natural light, care of an original bay window with treetop views. An antique fireplace with stone mantlepiece was reclaimed from the St. Pancras hotel. Sliding doors open onto a vast en suite bathroom with a recently restored fireplace, a roll-top bathtub and a walk-in shower finished with green India Verde marble. Fixtures and fittings are by Lefroy Brooks.



There are two further double bedrooms on this floor, and a smaller room that would be suitable as a study or a dressing room. A shared bathroom has a bathtub with fittings, fixtures and sanitaryware by Aston Matthews. Floors have been paved in marble mosaic and are warmed with underfloor heating.



The lower ground floor is home to a useful basement. In the garden, an outbuilding encompasses a garage and a separate office space, currently used as a music room.



The house also has a spacious attic with plenty of additional storage.



The Great Outdoors



A lush split-level garden has been thoughtfully planted by landscape architects, Farlam and Chandler. Its spacious terrace, paved with yorkstone, unfolds from the house, perfect for outdoor dining. Inspired by English country gardens, borders are filled with fruit baring apple, cherry and pear trees as well as fragrant shrubs, roses, jasmine and fennel. Lawned and gravelled pathways punctuate the garden into 'rooms' with hidden nooks to enjoy the sun or retreat into the shade. A copper archway leads to the music room, garage and rear entrance accessible from the street.



Out and About



Forest Drive is a short walk away from the restorative expanses of Hollow Ponds, a wide, open grassland that reaches up to ancient woodland of Epping Forest. It’s known for peaceful walking, wildlife spotting, and panoramic views. Other local green spaces include Christchurch Green and, to the south, Wanstead Flats and Wanstead Park.



Wanstead High Street is a short cycle ride away and has plenty of shops, a branch of Gail’s, The Ginger Pig, and a range of pubs. Excellent takeaway The Tiffin Tin also has a branch locally. The hub of Leytonstone is close by, home to The North Star, Homies on Donkeys and Forno bakery. Walthamstow is a short bus ride away, as is Leyton’s Francis Road, which is home to a brilliant range of independent shops and places to eat.



There are plenty of primary and secondary schools locally. The popular Forest School lies in proximity while the Outstanding Barclay Primary School is only a short walk away.



Leyton Midland Road Overground lies on the Suffragete Line with connections to the Mildmay line, which links to Highbury and Islington and Stratford. Leytonstone Underground station (Central line) is a 15-minute walk away, with services to Liverpool Street in around 17 minutes. There are also several bus routes nearby.