This rare and remarkable duplex penthouse was designed by the architect Piers Gough of CZWG and is set over two expansive levels overlooking the wonderful green of Charterhouse Square in Clerkenwell. It extends to approximately 3,700 sq ft and has been home and studio to an artist and an art director for several decades, with a dramatic upper level bathed in light from a glazed cathedral ceiling. The square is highly coveted, brilliantly positioned as it is by Smithfield Market, between Farringdon and Barbican.

There is communal entry from the ground level where stairs rise to the first floor and a stairlift offers assistance if needed. The apartment is entered on the first floor, with stairs up to the second and third floors, over which the living spaces are arranged.

The second floor is largely open plan, entered through large double doors, with a front-facing kitchen and dining room overlooking Charterhouse Square. At the centre of the plan is the living room, arranged around a gas fire, and opposite is a library and desk space that follows the wonderful curvature of an internal wall.

At the far end, are two bedrooms, currently used as an office and a dressing room, and a spiral staircase ascends to the master bedroom which has an en-suite bathroom and access to a courtyard terrace.

An expansive studio space is set across the upper level, entirely open-plan with roof-lights overhead and access through glazed bi-fold doors to the same terrace.

The building dates to the 1870s and was designed by Scottish architect Coutts Stone as warehousing for textile traders. Its occupants ranged from specialists in portable knitting machines to hatmakers and printers, until the late 1970s when a collective of 12 artists took possession. Among them were Howard Hodgkin, Richard Wentworth and John Hoyland, and Allen Jones who took the two upper levels. Jones employed Piers Gough to convert the expanse into a loft-style residence and light-filled studio space overhead, with a number of the design aspects inspired by the artist’s work.

Charterhouse Square lies at the heart of its eponymous conservation area and was arranged around a Carthusian monastery founded in 1371. Its elegant cobblestones and granite sets were awarded a Grade II listing by Historic England (then English Heritage) in 2011.

Clerkenwell is renowned for the quality and variety of its bars, pubs and restaurants. Nearby Exmouth Market, Covent Garden and Soho are all within walking distance and offer further choices. The Barbican Centre, with its world-class cultural programme of cinema, music, theatre, talks and exhibitions, is a few minutes walk from the apartment.

Nearby Farringdon station is a few minutes walk for Circle, Metropolitan and Hammersmith & City lines, Thameslink and National Rail provides quick access to the West End and London’s major airports. Angel station is a short walk to the north for access to the Northern Line. Farringdon Station will also benefit from the opening of Crossrail which will provide fast, direct routes to Heathrow Airport and the West End. The Eurostar is available at St Pancras.

Tenure: Share of Freehold
Lease Length: 999 years (from 1994)
Service Charge: approx. £3,560 per annum
Corporation of London Rates: approx.  £1,621 per annum

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. The Modern House 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.