Wroughton Road, London, SW11

This magnificent and substantially wide, Victorian house is for sale for the first time in over half a century and offers an incoming purchaser very rare proportions indeed. With a footprint over 30’ wide, it has potential (STPP) to reach almost 4000 square feet via expansion at basement, ground and top floors and has a delightfully secluded and 30’ square garden. Beautifully located by the corner of prestigious Thurleigh Road, in a leafy location under half a mile from Clapham South tube station, close to excellent schools and a few hundred metres from both Clapham and Wandsworth Commons. Fashionable Northcote Road’s parade of shops, restaurants and cafes is also nearby.

This handsome family house, one of the two largest houses on Wroughton Road and arguably among the wider single-fronted properties between the commons, was built in 1881 and is situated at the very southern end of the street. Semi-detached and imposing, it offer rooms with better proportions than many a double-fronted house can. Bought by an Indian princess more than half a century ago as a wedding gift for her son, it remains in the same family ownership today. The house retains some beautiful period features including exterior stonework, mosaic-tiled hallway, fireplaces, and high ceilings but is in need of updating and extension, in order to realise its full potential.

The existing owners, who were planning to extend it themselves, have commissioned architects plans for a home with 6 double bedrooms, 5 full size bathrooms including a magnificent principal bedroom suite at the rear overlooking the gardens and impressive guest suite at the front, both with dressing rooms and ensuite bathrooms, as well as vast family / entertaining spaces at both ground and basement level. Plans are available upon request

The house is approached through a front garden with a side passage to a second, side entrance and also to the rear garden. The main front stone porch and door lead through to a grand entrance hall with original tessellated floor and beautiful staircase with ornate iron spindles. From here there are doors to three reception rooms, the largest of these being the marvellous, front reception room which measures a superb 17’ x 16’ and has a high coved ceiling, marble fireplace with cast-iron grate and gas coal-effect fire, and large bay window. To the rear are a family room and dining room side by side, with the fitted kitchen beyond, reaching out into the garden. Here there is wonderful scope to extend across the back of the property, perhaps also knocking the existing rooms together, to form a truly huge open kitchen/family/dining room which would open onto the garden. Completing the ground floor is a cloakroom/WC beneath the stairs. There is scope (STPP) to dig a basement and with a footprint as wide as this one, the results would, no doubt, be outstanding. The garden is approx. 30’square and secluded. It backs onto other large gardens of the houses in Thurleigh Road and so has a delightfully private feel.

Upstairs the first-floor layout mirrors the ground floor, with a huge bedroom to the front and three further rooms to the rear, one of which serves as a dressing room. There is also a family bathroom on this level. All the rooms run off one level landing which features the attractively winding staircase. The rear bedrooms’ aspect overlooks large gardens and has a wonderful view of the church tower at St Luke’s on Thurleigh Road

The huge attic has been partially converted to provide an additional bedroom and bathroom. However, next door and numerous other properties in the area, have now built out much further and if one were to execute such works here, the top floor plans show it could comfortably provide three double bedrooms and two good bathrooms. Again this would be subject to planning permission (STPP).

The southern part of Wroughton Road is very conveniently located for access to the underground at Clapham South station (750m away), which has direct connections to both The City and The West End. Excellent schools in both the state and private sector are nearby with Broomwood Hall, Honeywell and Thomas’ being closest to this property. The ever-increasing range of specialist shops, bar/ restaurants and thriving street market on nearby Northcote Road, has dramatically increased its popularity as a shopping parade in recent years and there is a further selection on Bellevue Road’s pretty parade. High-street convenience shopping, including numerous supermarkets can be found at Clapham South and Clapham Junction where there is also the mainline station. The green spaces and recreational facilities of both Wandsworth and Clapham Commons are also very close by.