Hesketh Road, Forest Gate, London, E7

Light, bright and beautifully updated for modern family living, this immaculate Victorian house sits on a quiet, tree-lined street within walking distance of both Underground and Overground links, and the green expanse of Wanstead Flats.

The house has recently been refurbished from top to bottom, with soft, warm off-white walls, modern lighting and new flooring throughout. The doors and windows have all been replaced, a full rewire was undertaken (with the addition of new sockets and switches), and the interiors have been carefully updated. Extended to the side and rear, with a converted loft, the thoughtful layout makes every space both enjoyable and practical – there’s a large dining kitchen, a newly fitted bathroom, ensuite and WC, and five good-sized double bedrooms.

Greeting you with a pretty, restored London Stock brick frontage, the house has kerb appeal in spades, with white stone sills, lintels and foliage-topped columns to the bay window. Set behind a low wall, a monochrome chequered path leads past a stone chipping front garden to a recessed porch, where the smart neutral-toned front door features reeded glazing, satin-finish ironmongery and a transom.

INSIDE – VICTORIAN CHARACTER WITH SPACE TO CONNECT

Soft off-white walls and warm cocoa-toned engineered-wood flooring in the hallway flow through into the double reception room on your right. With high ceilings, a sunny bay, two rendered fireplaces and a pair of modern bubble pendants, this dual aspect space has a wonderful sightline all the way through to the garden at the rear.

Continue through an ante room - with storage and a discreet cupboard - into the extended dining kitchen. It’s bathed in light from a pair of skylights and anthracite-framed bifold doors to the garden.

Porcelain floor tiles from Mandarin Stone run throughout the kitchen, with underfloor heating. The same tiles continue outside onto the patio, creating a wonderful inside-out feel. Brown wood-effect cabinetry has been paired with a pale stone worktop, an undermounted stainless steel sink and a chrome mixer tap, while a statement triple pendant defines the breakfast bar, which comfortably seats three.

Integrated appliances include an oven, dishwasher, fridge-freezer and induction hob.

Walking back through to the hallway, you’ll pass a handy utility space with a washing machine; and a door to a WC, with pale grey Mandarin Stone tiles, a concealed cistern loo and wall-hung sink.

Take the staircase with white-painted treads and neutral carpet runner trimmed in black, to the first floor, where the carpet runs into all three double bedrooms.

Running the full width at the front, the peaceful primary is filled with light from a pair of newly fitted windows. A rendered fireplace creates a stylish focal point, while there’s plenty of space for built-in or freestanding storage. The second and third bedrooms share a similar décor scheme, with soft off-white walls, soft neutral carpets and leafy views out to the garden.

The family bathroom sits in the centre of the plan. Modena Grey porcelain tiles and textured Zellige tiles in the shower area from Mandarin Stone form the backdrop to a bath with a rainfall shower and a practical shower attachment, a double wall-hung basin with chrome Grohe taps, and a concealed cistern loo. Lit by a side-facing frosted window, there’s a wide wall-mounted mirror and an integrated, softly illuminated shower niche for atmospheric, long leisurely soaks.

A second staircase leads up to the newly converted loft floor, which is flooded with sunlight from a central skylight.

The two double bedrooms here are decorated to match the others; with the front bedroom - lit by both Velux and a garden-facing window - benefiting from an ensuite. With Mandarin Stone tiles, there’s a walk-in rainfall shower with a glass screen; a close-coupled loo; and a wall-hung basin.

OUTSIDE – A SPACE TO UNWIND

Shielded by dark-painted timber fencing, the 28-foot garden is ideal for entertaining. A porcelain-tiled patio seating area is bordered by sleeper-edged beds containing foliage and a trio of pleached trees to the rear.

A NOTE FROM THE OWNERS

“We love how the ground floor brings everyone together, while still giving each space its own purpose. Being able to see from the front of the house right through to the garden makes the whole home feel open and connected.”

GETTING AROUND

Leytonstone High Road and Wanstead Park Overground stations are 22 and 9 minutes on foot, respectively. Forest Gate station, on the Elizabeth line, is a 13-minute walk away. Leytonstone Underground station, served by the Central line, is also a 29-minute walk away.

From here, it’s just a short journey to Liverpool Street and one stop from Stratford’s major interchange with the DLR, Central and Jubilee lines, along with shopping, cinema and food at Westfield and East Village. Regular bus services also run to Stratford.

IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD

Hesketh Road is part of a pocket of Victorian streets between the lower end of High Road Leytonstone and the wonderful Wanstead Flats – a walking, jogging and mountain-biking paradise that acts as a gateway to Epping Forest. Nearby Chalet Wood also provides a beautiful carpet of bluebells every spring. Harrow Road playing fields – a gateway to sprawling green space, ponds and woodland – is 14-minute walk away.

Alternatively, run through Hollow Pond and beyond, exploring the forest trails, or head to Langthorne Park for its pools, wildlife, basketball courts, play park, and outdoor gym. You are also just 1.5 miles from the Olympic Park with all it has to offer.

The Holly Tree pub, with its own miniature train, is just a couple of minutes around the corner and serves great Sunday roasts. Within a 13-minute walk is Leytonstone Tavern (check out the fantastic burgers) and friendly coffee shop Tamping Grounds, as well as Kotch for pizza, and The Rookwood Village pub (6 mins) with its stylish interior, deck and electronic darts. Stroll a few minutes further to explore Winchelsea Road’s artisanal food and drink scene, including The Wanstead Tap, Ramble Café, and Wild Goose Bakery for tempting pastries and custard tarts.

The High Road is only moments away and has many cafés and convenience stores at its southern end. If you like traditional Neapolitan pizza, check out Bocca Bocca. Also worth exploring are the Leytonstone arts trail and the weekly local farmers’ market beside Cann Hall Park, with its coffee shop, play areas and skatepark.

Local sellers often recommend Earl’s for mouth-watering sandwiches and coffees, as well as takeaways from Wanstead Kitchen, Noted Eel & Pie House, drinks at Pretty Decent’s taproom or Joyau, and Italian restaurant Fiore in the arches by Forest Gate.

Other favourites include Cann Club and Crate Walthamstow for kids’ clubs, Leytonstone and Leyton Leisure Centres for swimming, local five-a-side football, park runs, and running clubs, as well as Fitness Hub East, E7 Movement, Studio M (for reformer Pilates) and Pause yoga studio, all within walking distance.

SCHOOLS

Davies Lane Primary School is a 17-minute walk and rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted. The popular Jenny Hammond Primary School is 14 minutes away and rated ‘Good’. You’ll also find Buxton School within a seven-minute stroll and a few nurseries nearby, including The Arches Nursery, a ten-minute walk away.