Mare Street III, London E8

This immaculate two-bedroom maisonette occupies the top floors of a handsome brick building on Mare Street in Hackney. The apartment has been extensively renovated under current ownership with a palette of Italian Carrara marble, herringbone laid floors and soft white-washed walls. It is exceptionally well-located, within walking distance of London Fields and Victoria Park, as well as London Fields Overground station and Bethnal Green Underground station which provides services to London Liverpool Street in five minutes.



The Tour



The maisonette's front door is to the side of the building, set behind a secure gate and fitted with a Banham lock. Entry is to a ground-floor hallway with space for shoes and jackets, and a staircase that rises to the first floor.



The living spaces are arranged around a light-filled first-floor landing. At the front is an especially bright reception room, with three tall sash windows, angled south and south-westerly respectively. Here and throughout the apartment, the windows are double glazed. Herringbone-laid floors run underfoot and walls are washed in white. High ceilings are crowned with a moulded cornice, and on one side of the room, there is a marble fireplace with pilaster jambs, foot blocks and corbels supporting a mantelpiece.



To the rear of the plan is the kitchen. Elegant cabinetry runs along two walls, painted in a chalky shade of green and topped with a deep Carrara marble worktop. There is a five-ring gas hob, an integrated oven and a stainless steel sink as well as laundry facilities. A dining table can be positioned to sit in front of a sash window that frames views over a mature London plane tree.



The same staircase winds up to the second floor, where two bedrooms and two bathrooms lie.



The primary bedroom is at the front of the plan, and much like the floor below, a set of sashes creates a bright atmosphere. Built-in shelving on one side provides excellent storage for books, photographs and potted plants. The recently renovated en suite shower room is finished with ceramic tiles, a walk-in rain-style shower and wall-mounted stainless-steel fixtures as well as a double sink. The adjacent bathroom employs a similar scheme and is fitted with a bathtub. Both bathrooms have underfloor heating.



The second bedroom has a white-painted fireplace surround creating a focal point for the room, and a sash window provides leafy treetop views. Built-in floor-to-ceiling wardrobes on one wall contain plenty of storage space.



The Area



The maisonette lies on Mare Street, a popular road that joins Cambridge Heath Road and Bethnal Green in the south, and Hackney Central in the north. London Fields and its heated lido and tennis courts lie to the west, while Victoria Park, with its outpost of Pavilion and weekly food market, is to the south-east.



Well Street Common and Well Street are also close; the latter is home to the delicious Indian-Irish restaurant Shankeys, while Broadway Market lies just beyond London Fields and has a range of shops including Donlon Books and Artwords, as well as its own weekend food and makers' stalls. Fin and Flounder and Hill and Szrok supply fresh fish and quality meats, respectively.



Columbia Road, with its famous flower market, is within walking distance. For further shopping nearby there is the Hackney Walk Fashion district with shops such as Burberry, Nike and Zadig and Voltaire.



Mare Street market, a thriving community hub with food, drinks and a selection of boutiques, is minutes away. Other popular restaurants include Elliot’s, also on Mare Street, along with Pophams (which serves pastries by day and pasta by night), LARDO on Richmond Road and the one Michelin Star Behind Restaurant. E5 Bakehouse, on the edge of London Fields, is favoured for freshly baked artisan bread and grains while 21 SID is excellent for espresso. Brat x Climpson’s Arch is also close by, as is Pockets with its legendary takeaway pitas. Max Rocha’s Café Cecilia, by Regent’s Canal, is another neighbourhood favourite.



One of Hackney's oldest buildings, 195 Mare Street, has recently undergone an extensive restoration, and is reopening as a community art venue.



There are a number of excellent schooling options in the area, including London Fields Primary School, Gayhurst Community School and Mossbourne Victoria Park Academy.



London Fields Station is a three-minute walk away, offering regular Overground services to Liverpool Street. Hackney Central is only slightly further afield and runs services to Highbury and Islington, for Victoria line connections, and to Stratford in the east. There are excellent bus routes in the area, including those that run from Mare Street to London Bridge.



Tenure: Leasehold / Lease Length: Approx. 135 years remaining / Service Charge: n/a per annum / Council Tax Band: D