Distinctive Islington Penthouse

A complete rarity, this penthouse has a hidden roof terrace that spans the entire original building’s footprint and commands an almost 360-degree view across Canonbury. It is exquisitely positioned, combining history with high-quality fixtures and fittings.
Architecture & History
Positioned on the corner of Northampton Park & St Paul’s Road, one of the most exclusive turnings in Canonbury, New Crown Apartments are curated out of the former New Crown public house, a mid-Victorian tavern that served the local community around St Paul’s Road.
Converted in 2015, this successful conversion has retained its authenticity with complementary communal fixtures and fittings in keeping with, and reminiscent of the era, with Victorian-style hallway tiles, tall ceilings, glass atrium internal light well and a contemporary rising glass staircase.
Ascending to the top floor you enter the penthouse into a light filled reception space with bright walls, dark engineered oak wood floors and Lutron LED lighting system throughout. This expanse is impressively flexible with distinct areas for entertaining, dining and relaxation. A gorgeous kitchen with Italian Gessi water fixtures is neatly finished in white Corian worktops with fully integrated Smeg appliances centred around a generous kitchen island. This is an incredibly social area, perfect if you like to host.
Central to the apartment and lit up by LED floor lights, is the spiral glass staircase leading to a showstopper of a roof terrace complete with hot tub. Not overlooked, the exceptional terrace provides a charming chimneypot vista to the East of the surrounding Canonbury roofscape and nestled between the treetops are distant views of Canary Wharf and the City skyline; there really is nothing else like it in the area & is much loved by the current owners. Whether you prefer a minimalist Balearic sundeck or more formal English terrace, it is the perfect entertainment and relaxation area ready to be styled as you choose.
Three similarly proportioned bedrooms lead off the reception space and are finished in a beautiful neutral palate. Two bedrooms are situated on the corners of the building and have wonderful natural light from the south and northwest, with the third bedroom nestled neatly in-between, offering main views of the surrounding treeline.
The principal bedroom contains a built-in wardrobe and has a classically styled ensuite bathroom complete with a jacuzzi bath (a rare treat!), large ‘Rainforest’ overhead shower, a contemporary glass & ceramic Villeroy and Boch hand basin and W/C. The family bathroom is adjacent and is finished in timeless Victorian style comprising a Burlington claw foot bathtub, overhead shower, W/C & wash basin.
The blend of contemporary, with respect to heritage, can be seen throughout the property as evidenced in the attention to detail, such as the double-glazed, wooden sash windows with electric blinds.
There is an additional storage cupboard in the hallway as well as the opportunity for plenty of storage on the terrace. Underfloor heating is present throughout with individual controls in every room. Access is via fob entry and secure video entry for guests.
With only six flats in the building, the communal areas are extremely well preserved, and your neighbours not only care for, but take pride in the building. External parts, including brickwork, windows, communal doors & bin store are all serviced and maintained, as is the external corner planting. There is also internal bike storage and permit street parking is available.
The New Crown Pub can trace its roots back to licensee records from 1851, serving the local community for the best part of 150 years. In its former Victorian grandeur, the pub also leased the adjoining land, now a public park known as ‘St Paul’s Shrubbery’. By the 1950s the pub was an established public house operated by a corporate brewery, but after a stint as a local French restaurant ‘Bastille Brasserie’ it became derelict in 2010 but then was saved in 2014, sympathetically converted, and the flats subsequently sold in 2015.
Local Area & Transport
Canonbury is one of the most historic but somewhat hidden areas of North London, revered amongst the local population. Characterised by row after row of beautiful Georgian and Victorian terraces and squares, there is a welcoming, supportive local community and an unpretentious appeal to the area perfectly balancing leafy charm with unparalleled urban connectivity.
The New River Walk starts and flows directly opposite the building and is a thoroughly delightful walk alongside the waterway down to Essex Road and beyond to Angel. In amongst the Canonbury triangle, there is a lovely quaint high street with a highly regarded local pub, the Canonbury Tavern, and a nice selection of local shops and cafes. There is easy access to Highbury Barn with its artisanal coffee shops and local bakeries. To the northwest is Highbury Fields, a real gem of a park, with Highbury Pools, tennis courts and a big open grass area.
Highbury Corner is a short hop on the bus and provides a huge range of restaurants, coffee shops and independent retailers. Upper Street starts here and has everything you could wish for. Newington Green is also a short walk to the North and has a lovely village quaintness with well-established cafes and eateries. Stoke Newington Church Street can be found a little further, together with the award-winning Clissold Park, hosting many family events throughout the year.
Highbury & Islington station is only a 10 minutes’ walk away and connects to the Victoria Underground line, Overground and National Rail services into London or further north to Hertfordshire. Canonbury overground station is two minutes’ walk (one stop to Highbury & Islington) with direct connections eastwards to Stratford, as far West as Richmond and to wider southeast London.