Croftdown Road,
Dartmouth Park,
NW5

A six-bedroom, three-bathroom semi-detached house close to Hampstead Heath. The property has been extremely well cared for, and is coming to the market for the first time in over 30 years.

In the owners words: When we found the house, thirty years ago, we knew we wanted to live in Dartmouth Park and that houses this big and with such a good garden came on to the market rarely.

So, we walked all around the area with our one-year-old child in the buggy and when we saw a house that was what we dreamed of we put a note through the door.

That’s how this house became our home; a yearning to live here, putting a note through the door, a lovely call from the owners, and a very happy outcome.

We have raised babies and toddlers here, and hosted teenagers with their hordes of friends, and adult children. We have worked here, and we have partied here. It’s a home for all seasons, all ages, and all moods.

It can accommodate lots of people but offers privacy and quiet too. Sunrise is on the front of the house, from where you have views across London to The Shard. There’s beautiful light on the garden at the end of the day and, like all magical homes, this house has a lovely surprise to it, in the form of the ancient orchard that runs along the back of the garden.

Old English varieties of apple and pear grow there, producing the most stunning display of blossom in spring. Sitting in the garden in late summer looking at the fruit on the trees has never lost its charm for us. Rural London!

The back sitting room is our cosy spot, especially in winter with the gas fireplace and wall of curtains. In summer, that room transforms, with the balcony overlooking the garden and orchard, and all the way up to the church spire of St. Michael's in Highgate Village.

The kitchen is a tremendously sociable room, and we’ve always enjoyed it filling with family and friends because this is a house that works at every stage of your family's life. This is not solely down to the sheer number and size of the rooms but also to the fact that every room has its own special quality, light and feel to it. But the scale of the house has, over the decades, allowed us a wealth of permutations when it comes to how each room is used. One of our current studies has previously been a kid's nursery, an au pair’s suite, and was a second kitchen when we moved in.

The lower ground floor was divided up into three rooms when we arrived, and we have turned that into one big, wonderful space. 15 years ago, we put the attic space on, and that has been a sleepover zone for teenagers, a workspace and, since lockdown, a gym.

When re-working the house 15 years ago, the wiring and plumbing were completely redone, and we also had Cat5e put in throughout meaning there is great connectivity in every room.

Buses go from the end of the road into central London and up into the village. The overground connections are also superb and connect us to the whole of London. But the truth is we go long periods at a time keeping it local, walking everywhere.

The Bull & Last, round the corner, is a regular treat. On Swain’s Lane shops include a fishmonger, a butcher, a deli, a greengrocer/health food shop, a bakery, a florist, a dry cleaner, and cafes. And we love the Saturday morning market on the Heath, at William Ellis School.

We go to the Heath every day. It’s two minutes from the front door and has added to the quality of our lives constantly for three decades. We walk there, play tennis there, meet friends there, the kids played football there. It’s an indescribable benefit of living here and it sets the mood of these streets.

It is beautiful housing all around here but there is something extra, something elevating, about it all being set on the doorstep of Hampstead Heath. It took us years to stop pinching ourselves we lived so close to it. It’s a joy, a privilege, and a huge amount of fun.

Kitchen and Family Room

Reception Room

Reception Room

Bedroom

Bedroom

Bedroom

Bedroom

Bedroom/Office

Loft Room

Bathrooms