Known as the ‘Oldest House in the City of London’, Cloth Fair is an imposing semi detached house located within the Smithfield Conservation Area, Area of Archaeological Interest and is Listed at Grade II* by Historic England.
Originally constructed in the 17th Century in the grounds of St. Bartholomew, the house has had a varied history and been used as, amongst other things, as a Public House, Drapery shop and Architectural Offices.
Internally, the property has changed layout a number of times, most significantly between the 1930s and 1976 when it was under the ownership of the Architectural Firm of Seely & Paget, who used the property as offices and as a residence.
The ground, first and second floors of 41-42 Cloth Fair was used as offices by the firm, with the upper floors being a private residence for the Partners.
The current layout of the property is a result of the interventions of Seely & Paget, along with some other changes that occurred in the 1990s following the conversion of the property back into a single-family dwelling.
We were asked to make some interventions to the plan of the building in order to adapt the entrance hall and reinstall a historic window in place of a recent doorway; alter the entrance route from the street and improve the ‘flow’ of the space.
Due to the location in City of London, access to external space is limited, so improved access from the main living space to the roof terrace at 1st floor was also improved.
Planning and Listed Building Consent for the work was granted in summer 2022 with the works projected to begin soon.
