From the road, this six-bedroom late Victorian house in leafy Teddington is a smarter-than-most family home with a garage, pretty period features and bags of space.
In reality it represents a rare opportunity to move into a hidden riverside community.
The gardens of Broom Water back onto a one-of-a-kind Thames inlet, completely obscured by the forty or so houses that line its banks.
That means it's only visible to residents – and keen-eyed boat trippers on the Thames itself.
"Broom Water has a very unique reputation in this area. We find that a lot of potential buyers know about it already," says David Reed of agent Antony Roberts, who has listed the house for £3.45 million.
"When something pops up, they tend to jump on it and make it their family property for quite a while. They don't often change hands."
The lack of sight lines is part of the appeal, he adds: "You can't see it from the roads, so it feels completely protected".
Once a natural creek cleaving riverside meadows, Broom Water was lengthened in the late 19th century and homes then built one by one on its banks.
As this section of the Thames is just upstream of Teddington Lock, it's non-tidal – meaning the water level does not rise and fall like the 95 mile stretch from the sea up to this point.
The houses on this street and Broom Water West, across the water, form the Broom Water Conservation Area.
"The plots are all of a similar width, but the properties themselves are very distinctive. They're not this homogenous set – each has its individual character," says Reed.
All are locally listed as Buildings of Townscape Merit.
The detached house is typical of those on the Victorian-Edwardian cusp, with its gabled windows and porch hints of the coming change of guard.
With full-width bi-fold doors onto the garden, a kitchen diner housed in a modern extension at the back of the house is a contrast to the formal reception room with its high ceilings, cornicing and fireplace.
"Buyers here tend to embark on a big plan to make the inside, and any outbuildings, bespoke to their own situation and liking," says Reed.
A utility room and wine cellar tick off prime buyer musts while six bedrooms and three bathrooms across the two upper floors round out almost 2,700 square feet of living space.
A stepped 40-foot garden leads down to a summer house and a small jetty with a private mooring – metres away from the Thames and nearby Trowlock Island.
The selection of dinky riverboats, kayaks and simple rowboats tied to posts suggest the moorings are well utilised by neighbours, many of whom make up the local Broom Water Association.
It's not the sole appeal, says Reed: "People enjoy the watersports, but also the serenity of it all. You're in London but you've got this lovely waterside setting."
Records show the house was last sold for £1,625,000 in 2007.
Only three houses have been sold on the street in the last decade. In 2022, number 31 sold for a record £4.35 million.
Other unusual buys in the wider area include a 'Secret Garden' style plot in Twickenham with planning permission for a radical extension.
