'You would never believe it was once a petrol station': striking £1.5m new townhouse for sale in Kentish Town

The stretch of Highgate Road, near Hampstead Heath was the site of a petrol station from the 1950s until 2019, when what was then Pace petrol station and an adjoining MOT centre were sold for £2.95 million.

Today, six new, terraced townhouses stand in their place, one of which is currently for sale for £1.5 million.

The development, called The Arches, has a façade made up of two rows of railway-style arches, clad in brick. It was completed in 2023.

“Many railway arches, tunnels and bridges criss-cross the site, and it just felt right to reference this important infrastructure,” wrote architects DHaus about the project.

There had been a petrol station on the site since the 1950s (Nathan K. Real Estate)

“We felt it was appropriate to have a small mass at the rear, using local London stock brick formed in arches to reference the local colours and the railway arches that sit directly to the site.”

Prior to its sale in 2019, the petrol station had not traded for over five years, while the MOT centre had stopped operating in 2018.

Planning documents claimed that the garage was “an eyesore with its rundown appearance, graffiti and lack of use” and that that the site had attracted anti-social behaviour.

The former petrol station was demolished and the petrol tanks, which were stored underground, were carefully removed after the removal of petrol tanks on a similar development on nearby Swain’s Lane had caused an explosion and resulted in a man’s death in 2017.

The design created more green space, reinstating the former

The contaminated earth was excavated, removed and replaced with new green space. “Cleaning up the contaminated site became a valuable benefit of this project,” said the architects.

The buildings, meanwhile, were positioned at almost the same height as the original petrol station, with a green roof to boost biodiversity and harvest rainwater. Solar panels add renewable power to the six homes.

The green spaces in front and behind the development were reinstated. "Our initial design idea was inspired by the historic green lung of open green spaces along the Highgate Road.

“Our earliest discussion with Camden was to relink the two open public green spaces either side of the site,” said DHaus.

The building's arches have become feature windows (Nathan K. Real Estate)

"This meant reinstating the green lung as close to how it was back in 1873. A futuristic Victorian throwback."

Each of the six townhouses measures around 1,400 square feet, with three or four bedrooms, a study and a garden room.

One of these is on the market for £1.5 million with Nathan K. Real Estate. Spread across three floors, it has three bedrooms —two with ensuite— three bathrooms and two reception rooms.

At basement level, there is a reception room, utility room and kitchen, which leads onto a small courtyard garden. At the back, this houses a separate gym and studio space.

The living space, courtyard and studio (Nathan K. Real Estate)

The property’s bedrooms and study are on the two floors above. The building’s arches provide feature full-height feature windows, with a balcony and a terrace.

“I love to list homes with a story, and this transformation is remarkable. You would never believe that it was once a petrol station,” says Nathan Khider, founder of Nathan K. Real Estate. “It’s a truly unique design. The large, arching windows are particularly impressive, really brightening the space.”

This is the first time the house has been listed for sale since the building was completed. Other properties in the development have also hit the market in recent months, including one with Dexters and another with David Andrew, both listed for £1.45 million.

According to Khider, who featured on this year’s series of BBC’s The Traitors, the house would make “an ideal space for a family of four”.

He adds: “I am expecting the house to receive a huge amount of interest. Its grand exterior and prime location really set it apart.”