London N10 Sold

Hillfield Park

Set back from the road, the houses all have prettily planted front gardens stocked with nasturtium, roses and colourful Mexican fleabane

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This bright apartment occupies the top floor of a handsome red brick Edwardian building on Muswell Hill’s pretty Hillfield Park, situated within the local conservation area. The whole street has a wonderful character due to the handsome façades of the houses lining it. Sensitive restoration has been undertaken by the current owners, including retaining the floorboards in the sitting room, adding a smart shaker-style kitchen and swapping out the decorative large window to the front with a like-for-like double-glazed replacement that frames exceptional views out across London.

Setting the Scene

These striking Edwardian homes were built throughout the 1890s and are now part of the Muswell Hill Conservation Area. Set back from the road, they are all behind neat and often very prettily planted front gardens, stocked with nasturtium, roses and colourful Mexican fleabane. The terraces were constructed out of red brick, with smart, contrasting white-painted timber windows and eaves brackets which support hipped slate roofs. The buildings are arranged in pairs, with unusual and distinctive two-storey canted bay windows. On the ground floor, the entrance doors all have paired timber porches with elaborate joinery, including turned balusters and elegant curved braces as well as attractive decorative tiles. For more information, please see the History section.

The Grand Tour

The communal entrance hallway is lined with original Edwardian floor tiles. Upstairs, the apartment’s front door leads up a second set of stairs to the top floor. The sitting room is to the front of the plan, with white-painted floorboards underfoot. The expanse of ornate glazing floods the room with light. A warming fire sits to one side, complete with its original Edwardian surround and refined black-tiled hearth. White open bookshelves are fitted in the alcoves.

From here, a corridor leads past some useful cupboards with doors that have been painstakingly stripped back to wood. A skylight brings light into the centre of the plan.

To the rear of the apartment is the kitchen, a lovely space comprising grey-painted cabinetry and Vermont Caesarstone worktops, set against engineered oak floors and wooden skirting boards. There is space for a dining table in the middle, next to the two large sash windows which frame green views.

The double bedroom has two more tall sash windows and has been fitted with cupboards, leaving ample space for a desk set-up. A bathroom has been decorated with mirrored tiles along one wall, set against grey brick tiles which clad the bath and shower as well as slate tiles from Fired Earth.

Out and About

It’s no surprise Muswell Hill was named one of the most desirable places to live in London by The Sunday Times in 2020. The fantastic offerings of Muswell Hill Broadway, a lively parade with lots of restaurants, cafés and shops, are only a 15-minute walk away. Locals recommend Toff’s for traditional fish and chips, Bob’s Cafe for a hearty brunch and independent local gastropub The Victoria Stakes for seasonal and sustainable menu offerings. Find specialist teas and coffee at independent merchant W Martyn, now in its fourth generation, and high quality fresh fish at Walter Purkis & Sons, which has been operating for nearly 200 years.

The parade’s most distinctive architectural feature is the Grade II*-listed Odeon Cinema, now an Everyman. Built in the Art Deco style in 1935-36, its dramatic curved exterior with contrasting cream and black faience link to the shopping parade curving around the corner, and retains the most elaborate interior of any surviving Odeon cinema.

There are several must-visits towards Fortis Green, including the weekly Fortismere Food Market; The Phoenix Cinema, one of the oldest continuously running cinemas in the UK; and The Clissold Arms, where notable locals the Davies brothers of The Kinks played their first gig.

Hillfield Park is also close to an array of large green spaces, including Hampstead Heath, Waterlow Park, Highgate Cemetery, Alexandra Palace Park, as well as the ancient Highgate Wood and Queen’s Wood. Highgate Woods hosts jazz performances every weekend, while Queen’s Wood is home to a fantastic community café with a regular programme of events and activities. Also nearby is the Parkland Walk, a disused railway line that has been transformed into a five-kilometre green pedestrian thoroughfare that connects Muswell Hill with Finsbury Park to the south and Alexandra Palace and Park to the north. The incredible Grade II-listed Alexandra Palace, locally known as “Ally Pally,” offers a weekly farmers’ market, boating lake, seasonal ice rink and much more.

There are excellent schools in the area, including St James Primary School, Highgate School, Highgate Primary School, St Michael’s Primary School and Channing.

Travel connections are aplenty: both East Finchley and Highgate Stations (Northern Line) can be reached in less than 10 minutes by bus, offering direct access to central London in less than 30 minutes. Thameslink services run from Alexandra Palace or Hornsey stations, taking 20 minutes to reach Moorgate, and good bus connections offer direct routes both to the City and the West End around the clock. The M1 is only a 15-minute drive away via the North Circular Road, allowing easy access to the north of England.

Tenure: Share of Freehold
Underlying Lease Length: approx. 982 years remaining
Service Charge: approx. £208 per annum
Council Tax Band: C

Please note that all areas, measurements and distances given in these particulars are approximate and rounded. The text, photographs and floor plans are for general guidance only. Inigo has not tested any services, appliances or specific fittings — prospective purchasers are advised to inspect the property themselves. All fixtures, fittings and furniture not specifically itemised within these particulars are deemed removable by the vendor.

History

The first evidence of settlement in the Muswell Hill area dates to the 12th century, when Richard de Belmeis, Bishop of London (1152-1161), granted 64 acres of land to the nuns of the Priory of St Mary. The land surrounded a natural spring or well which was believed to have curative powers and is thought to be the source of Muswell Hill’s name, meaning ‘mossy well.’ A local legend tells that Scottish King Malcolm IV was cured of disease after drinking water from this spring or well, drawing visitors as a pilgrimage site for healing during medieval times. Following the dissolution of the Priory, the land was transferred to private ownership.

By the 18th century, Muswell Hill was still a largely rural village consisting mainly of detached villas with large gardens, but known for its incredible vistas over the surrounding landscapes and City of London beyond. One 1787 commentator wrote that “nowhere within 100 miles of London was there a village so pleasant or with such varied views.” The heavily wooded area remained sparsely populated until the end of the 19th century, when the opening of Alexandra Palace in 1873 spurred development that began to transform Muswell Hill from a collection of country houses to the London village it is today.