This Terraced Townhouse Stands on East London’s Priciest Street

LISTING OF THE DAY

Location: East London, U.K.

Price: £3.5 million (US$4.5 million)

This Georgian terraced townhouse sits beside the River Thames and has a rich maritime and industrial past. It stands on Narrow Street in the East End of London and has sweeping views of the river and Canary Wharf.

The characterful, redbrick early 18th-century house is formed of a 1,200-square-foot commercial space with a traditional timber shopfront, and a three-story, three-bedroom apartment, each of which has its own separate entrance.

The commercial unit was an independently owned pub known as Booty’s Riverside Bar until 2013. In the 19th century it was the premises of the Woodward Fisher lighterage firm and a pub known as The Waterman’s Arms. A century before that it was part of a workshop for the Sparkes barge building company, according to The Evening Standard.

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Wide views of the Thames are on offer at the rear of the house, from its conservatory, its “sun-drenched” balcony and roof terrace, which are linked by a spiral staircase. The vistas include a sculpture of a life-size cast-iron figure by the artist Antony Gormley, which is part of his Another Time series.

The double-reception space on the first floor opens to a timber-framed conservatory with a curved roof and an adjoining balcony, giving it an unobstructed view of the river. The view from the ground floor studio space, meanwhile, is just above the lapping waves of the river.

There are about 20 historic townhouses in E14 and they rarely come up for sale and none have this much commercial space. It’s a one-off, said selling agent Lee O’Neill. “It offers riverside living in an atmospheric setting and is ideal for a buyer who wants to work from home.”

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Stats

The 3,171-square-foot five-story property has three bedrooms and two bathrooms.

Amenities

The residential property has a roof terrace, and a double reception room opening onto a balcony.

The commercial space comprises a ground floor studio room and a lower ground floor storage room with two washrooms, which extends to 1,203 square feet (included in the total square footage).

Talking Point

An engraving dated 1751 at the property shows the back of the building with a “wine” sign, which likely references the storage of the drink rather than a drinking spot, according to the sales details.

Neighborhood Notes

Narrow Street lies in E14—an area in East London that sits in a loop of the Thames and includes the financial district of Canary Wharf. According to Mr. O’Neill, the street is the most expensive in E14. “The two biggest sales in E14 over the past three years were properties on Narrow Street and they sold for around £3 million,” he said.

Narrow Street is desirable because it has luxury homes converted from period warehouses and 18-century houses. The rest of E14, meanwhile, is dominated by modern apartment blocks.

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The street has a long history, industrial heritage, including Watermen’s stairs, which provide access to the river, and an atmospheric vibe. Actor Sir Ian McKellen famously partly owns The Grapes pub on the street.

It lies half a mile from the Limehouse DLR station, which links to Bank in the City of London.

Listing Agent: Lee O’Neill, head of Knight Frank’s Canary Wharf & Wapping offices at Knight Frank

View the original listing.

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