Clyde House, London TW1

Spanning some 4,670 sq ft, this expansive mid-19th-century house has been beautifully transformed by its current owners. Its capacious rooms have been appointed with a fine selection of paints and materials that complement and pay homage to its heritage. Versatile in nature, the home has six bedrooms and a series of characterful sitting rooms designed with various atmospheres and occasions in mind. At the rear is a beautiful garden that runs down to a pontoon and private mooring on a particularly picturesque pocket of the River Thames.



Setting the Scene



Strawberry Vale is a charming part of Twickenham. Its name derives from the nearby Strawberry Hill area, notable as the site of Horace Walpole's iconic Gothic villa. The area's housing was largely built during the Victorian period, following the opening of Strawberry Hill station in the 1860s. Before the expansion of the railways, the River Thames was the main and most reliable transport link for the area. Located directly on the banks of the river, Clyde House was originally served by water taxis or ‘wherries’ transporting residents downstream to Richmond and Kew to connect with paddle steamers to Chelsea, Putney and Westminster

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Today, the house is one of very few properties with direct access to this stretch of the River Thames. It has been the subject of a meticulous renovation in recent years, with period-appropriate, subtly contemporary additions introduced throughout. High-specification fittings and finishes have been added, while the garden has been thoughtfully landscaped.





The Grand Tour



Painted pistachio green, the house sits back from the street behind a generous parking area. A dramatic wrought-iron gate opens to an original wrought-iron canopy above Portland stone steps to the front door, which has delightful stained-glass detailing. Beyond lies a hallway with walls painted in Farrow and Ball's 'Hague Blue' and timber floors; a refined introduction that sets the tone for what unfolds beyond.



Farrow and Ball's 'Railings' has been applied in the primary sitting room, a space of grand proportions and high ceilings. Beautiful panelling wraps the room and, at the far end, French doors open to the garden. A broad fireplace takes centre stage, its original Carrara marble arched surround providing a striking focal point. Contemporary flourishes sit harmoniously alongside original floorboards and expressive mouldings.



A Crittall door opens to the kitchen and dining room. Configured as an open-plan space, the room is filled with natural light and oriented towards the garden. The kitchen, by DeVol, has an electric Aga and a copper-clad island seamlessly integrated with a copper sink. The dining area has walls painted in 'Setting Plaster' from Farrow and Ball and three sash windows overlooking the river. A door to the garden creates a seamless transition between indoors and out during the warmer months. A study, once the formal office of the home's butler, is also on this floor.



Downstairs are an additional series of living spaces, including a large sitting room with built-in media unit and shuttered sash windows. An incredible cinema room is fitted with state-of-the-art Dolby Atmos equipment and has electric blinds to allow for complete darkness. There is also a home gym on this level. An especially spacious utility room, once the original kitchen, has appliances including white goods, a wine fridge, an integrated fridge-freezer, and a double butler sink; it also has doors to the garden. A refined shower room and WC completes this level.



The staircase to the upper floors has an elegantly patinated mahogany handrail and a wool carpet runner. There are two bedrooms on the first floor, both with built-in storage and doors opening onto a balcony with mesmerising views. The principal bedroom is particularly refined, with a decorative fireplace and a luxurious en suite with a slipper bath, shower and marble-topped vanity. Underfoot is a remarkable jade mosaic-tiled floor, thought to date to the early 1900s. A further bedroom, currently used as the principal dressing room, lies across the hall. There is also a sublime family bathroom on this level with original exposed brickwork, a freestanding bath and a vanity with a marble top.



There are three additional bedrooms on the uppermost floor, one with a large en suite shower room, along with another separate shower room and WC. As is the case throughout the house, the finishes here are exceptional and, in the rear-facing rooms, the views of the garden and river are immersive and ever-changing.



The Great Outdoors



An expansive 150-foot walled lawn stretches down towards the river, inset with a central gravelled path introduced by the current owners, but sympathetic to the symmetrical garden layouts of the Victorian era. The garden is fringed with mature trees, including a coppiced beech dating from the 18th century, one of a series of protected coppiced beeches stretching along the Strawberry Vale conservation area.



Closest to the house is a large York stone terrace, perfect for summer soirées, while at the water's edge, a recently installed oak deck provides ample space for riverside entertaining. There is a convenient garden room with a fridge and CAT 6 cabling, which provides a picturesque location for a home office.



A newly installed, seven-metre-wide pontoon has moorings for a 20-foot river vessel. The current owners often kayak and/or paddleboard upriver for sundowners at the Anglers, a beloved local pub. This section of the River Thames is not overlooked and is especially enchanting; opposite lies Ham Lands, a protected nature reserve and conservation site.



Out and About



The house sits directly between Teddington and Twickenham, a characterful pocket of London with plenty of shops, cafés and restaurants, including a large Waitrose, Marks & Spencer and Waterstones. In Twickenham, the cobbled, pedestrianised Church Street is lined with cafés, bars and restaurants, including Gail's for morning coffee, fresh bread and pastries. Teddington High Street has an array of independent shops, boutiques and restaurants, including the popular Café Benedict.



The area is also home to many riverside pubs, including The Anglers in Teddington and The White Swan in Twickenham, both accessible by water from the house. Both have terraces overlooking the river, providing an idyllic spot for an afternoon drink.



There are several green spaces within easy walking distance, including historic Bushy Park, one of London's eight Royal Parks. Bushy Park is 1,000 acres of untamed woodland and royal history, established as a formal hunting ground by Henry VIII in 1514 and still home to 300 free-roaming red and fallow deer. There are also wonderful riverside walks to Kingston, Richmond and Twickenham, providing on-foot access to Ham House, York House Gardens and Marble Hill as well as the inimitable Petersham Nurseries.



Twickenham is well known for its historic architecture, including Walpole’s Strawberry Hill House and Gardens, as well as the site of Alexander Pope’s 18th-century riverside villa and surviving Grade II*-listed Grotto. English Heritage's Marble Hill House and Orleans House Gallery are also within easy reach.



Strawberry Hill station is around a 10-minute walk from the house and runs stopping-services to London Waterloo via Richmond or Wimbledon. Richmond station can be reached in around 15 minutes by London bus or bike and provides faster Underground (District line) and London Overground (Mildmay line) services to London, as well as nationwide National Rail services through nearby Clapham Junction.



Council Tax Band: H