Valiant House, Vicarage Crescent, London SW11

This immaculate riverside home lies on the first floor of Valiant House in the Battesea Square conservation area. Designed in 1971 by Stefan Zins Associates, its arresting brick and virginia creeper-covered façade cuts a striking profile. Renovated with an exacting eye, the apartment combines clean architectural lines with mid-century details that reflect the building's original fabric. It has three bedrooms and a generous balcony with views across the Thames.



The Building



Built in 1971, Valiant House is a prominent residential building on the south bank of the River Thames, adjacent to Battersea Square. One of the first residential developments in the area, its dark façade and robust details are characteristic of the mid-century period. The building is beautifully maintained with plenty of original details and thoughtfully updated facilities, which include the communal areas.



The Tour



The main entrance to Valiant House is from Vicarage Crescent with secure pedestrian and vehicular access controlled by an entry phone. Set on the riverfront, there is secondary pedestrian access from the Thames Path.



The apartment lies on the first floor of the southernmost block. An original front door opens to a communal hall with stairs and lift access to the block. The lift has recently been replaced, the communal hall decorated, and the stairs recarpeted.



Reached by a single flight of stairs, the apartment has been beautifully renovated by the architect-owner in recent years. The entrance hall has a dark timber floor that runs through to the study ahead, the door to which is metal-framed and glazed.



The living room has a bright east-west aspect, with a balcony to the west overlooking the river, which receives the sun in the morning and in the evenings. To the east, more fitted joinery includes a television bracket. The principal bedrooms and the living room are carpeted in natural wool with a mid-grey waffle pattern.



In the kitchen, the cherry-lacquered wall cupboards surround a ceramic hob, an integrated oven, a dishwasher, and a fridge/freezer, all under a Corian worktop with glass splashbacks and sleek stainless-steel handles.



Both bedrooms and the study are fitted with bespoke bookshelves and wardrobes in a combination of grey/green lacquer and natural cherry.



The shower room and adjacent WC are finished in a combination of cherry and grey/green lacquer. The shower enclosure itself is tiled in turquoise glass mosaic, and there is a vanity unit and medicine cabinets. The shower room also accommodates a washer/dryer (though Valiant House also has an on-site launderette).



The electrical installation was replaced using Forbes and Lomax brushed stainless-steel light switches and sockets. The original radiators were replaced with Zehnder units. Door ironmongery is Arne Jacobsen's wave pattern in stainless steel.



The dedicated car parking space being offered with the flat is directly below the living room.



Outdoor Space



Full-height glazed doors slide onto a generous enclosed balcony with arresting views across the Thames.



The Area



Valiant House is on Vicarage Crescent immediately west of Battersea Square. There are several places locally to eat and drink, including Mazar Lebanese restaurant and Vinos y Licores for tapas. The building also lies in easy walking distance (or a short bus/cycle) of Chelsea.



Battersea Bridge can be reached via the Thames Path - where there is access from the back gate of Valiant House – to where the recently completed Royal College of Art campus, designed by Herzog and de Meuron, the offices of Foster + partners and Vivienne Westwood make this Battersea’s cultural quarter.



A short walk beyond this are the 200 acres of Battersea Park with playing fields, tennis courts, a running track, a children’s zoo, a boating lake and the Pump House Gallery. The Pear Tree Café beside the lake offers vibrant evenings of live music with food by ex-Petersham Nurseries alumni Annabel Partridge and Will Burrett.



The area is renowned for its prestigious schools, with Thomas’s and L’Ecole de Battersea both nearby. Bus connections are excellent: the 170, which stops outside the front gate, provides easy access to Clapham Junction (five minutes) and Victoria (20 minutes). Trains from Clapham Junction run to Waterloo, Victoria and Gatwick Airport every few minutes. Additional buses from Battersea Bridge offer a variety of destinations both north and south. The A3 is minutes away.



Tenure: Leasehold / Lease Length: Approx. 945 years remaining / Service Charge: Approx. £6, 783 per annum (includes hot water, heating, off street parking and porterage) / Ground Rent: Approx. £0 per annum / Council Tax Band: F