Civil servant won over by heritage apartments at Belgrave House

The appeal of living in a heritage building is clear; they often exhibit well-proportioned rooms, high ceilings, an interesting history and roaming grounds, however, few people have the time or expertise required to take on a heritage project themselves.

It is for this reason that converted heritage buildings are so popular, such as Belgrave House, the Grade II listed centrepiece of London Square Hayes, BR2 – which has been restored to provide eight stunning new two bedroom apartments, complemented by 15 new build houses set amongst two acres of listed lawn.

Civil Servant Scott Harris, 40, was one of the first people to purchase at Belgrave House, reserving a two bedroom apartment, despite there only being CGIs and a construction site to see at the time, which he attributes to the outstanding location and inspired vision for the building – a former private country house.

Scott, who previously lived in nearby West Wickham and became aware of the development whilst driving past, comments: “From the moment I saw the historic facade and the woodland setting, I knew it was a place I wanted to call home. Being here will really give me the best of both worlds, I get to live in a quiet area with a village feel and plenty of space - but I am less than 40 minutes away from central London and a short distance from my workplace in Croydon. I looked at numerous different sites, none of which quite ticked all the boxes in the same way as this one.”

Belgrave House was built as a private country house in 1776 and has seen numerous uses, including as a girls’ school, army field hospital and an office most recently.

Now, the handsome building has been carefully preserved and enhanced by specialist Formation Architects; they have repaired the façade of the building and restored its period window reveals, window sills and chimneys, returning it to its original splendour to create a selection of eight premium apartments, some with terraces.

These historic features are complemented by a contemporary specification including solid timber entrance doors, a cutting edge Alno kitchen with integrated Siemens appliances, underfloor heating, Herringbone hardwood flooring to the hallway and living areas and ultra-modern, hotel-style bathrooms with sleek fittings and Vado brassware.

Scott adds: “Belgrave House really has the wow factor, from the entrance atrium through to the restored historic features in the apartments themselves and of course the protected lawn - you can see greenery as far as you look.  I also have peace of mind knowing that issues associated with old buildings have been taken care of – no damp, draughty windows or waiting 10 minutes for hot water.”

Rebecca Littler, Sales & Marketing Director at London Square, said: “Each apartment at Belgrave House benefits from a unique layout, providing the sought after combination of heritage features with the contemporary specification and finish desired by today’s buyers. The location here is outstanding and it has been one of the main drivers for interest in the development.”

Hayes enjoys its status as part of Greater London, yet it is also on the cusp of some magnificent Kentish countryside with some of the country’s most scenic views, historic houses and beautiful gardens. Hayes is a key commuter spot, with direct trains running into both London Cannon Street and London Charing Cross in under 35 minutes.