In Fulham, where this four-bedroom cottage with an acre of gardens redefines the meaning of country living in the big city
At Rose Cottage on Crabtree Lane, a former farmhouse has been swallowed up by the city, but somehow kept its rustic charm thanks to its careful owners.


Readers of Country Life the Magazine might know that, in the past, I may have said some unkind things about the London Borough of Fulham. This comes from a mis-spent youth south of the river where, far too often, I would make the journey to SW6 to see friends and bemoan the lack of public transport and the expensive pubs. I also dislike Chelsea Football Club.
However, upon casting my gaze upon the delicately named Rose Cottage on Crabtree Lane, I might have to eat some humble pie. For sale with Radstock Property for £3.75 million, this might be, might be, the nicest house I’ve ever seen for sale in London.
The phrase rus-in-urbe is tossed around with reckless abandon, much like a rugby ball on Parsons Green, but at Rose Cottage, we might have finally found a property worthy of the title. With a garden of an acre, this late-17th-century property will really make you feel like you’ve escaped to the countryside, all while being a few minutes’ walk away from The River Café. That’s about as good as it gets.
The property used to be the farmhouse for the Crabtree orchards, but in recent years has been the home of architects who have updated and renovated the property with care to create a charming family home. The main property boasts four bedrooms over its two floors, while a more modern detached annexe to the rear of the property offers two further bedrooms. There is also a detached art studio of some 182sq ft to the front of the property.
Entered via Crabtree Lane, a walk through a mature front garden leads to the front door. On the ground floor you will find a sitting room with an open fire, a kitchen, a delightful conservatory and the fourth bedroom (or study).
The annexe, as mentioned, offers two further bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, a playroom, an office, a kitchenette and a sauna.
Separating the two buildings is the 77ft long garden, which offers an oasis of calm. Features include a pergola covered dining area, a built-in barbecue area and a vast expanse of lawn, surrounded on the edges with mature borders and specimen trees.
Sign up for the Country Life Newsletter
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
If all that green space wasn’t enough (and, in central London, it should be), Rose Cottage provides easy access to Bishops Park and the Thames Path, with plenty of excellent local shops and cafés (River or otherwise) nearby. Hammersmith tube station is also well within walking distance.
Rose Cottage is for sale with Radstock Property. For more information, call 020—3876 0280
Credit: Strutt and Parker
A gorgeous farmhouse next door to Stonehenge with a gardens by an iconic Chelsea gold medal winner
at Moor Hatches, while away the hours fishing on the Avon, enjoying the amazing gardens, or exploring this seven bedroom
Credit: Savills
Live and let live in the gorgeous former monastery that's been home to everyone from iconic Bond girls to legends of music
Jane Seymour bought this stunning house a few years after becoming one of the most celebrated Bond girls in the
Credit: Fine and Country
Red-brick walls, a thatched roof, a barn and an EPC rating of A. This home of the future in Dorset looks suspiciously like the past
At Godwins House near Christchurch, tradition and modernity embrace to create exquisite results.
Credit: Knight Frank
For sale for the first time in 50 years, an unlisted Sussex farmhouse surrounded by a 'thriving 117-acre nature reserve'
https://www.knightfrank.com/properties/residential/for-sale/wards-lane-wadhurst-east-sussex-tn5/CHO180010

James Fisher is the Deputy Digital Editor of Country Life. He writes about property, travel, motoring and things that upset him. He lives in London.
-
Five beautiful homes, from a barn conversion to an island treasure, as seen in Country Life
Our pick of the best homes to come to the market via Country Life in recent days include a wonderful thatched home in Devon and a charming red-brick house with gardens that run down to the water's edge.
By Toby Keel Published
-
Shark tanks, crocodile lagoons, laser defences, and a subterranean shooting gallery — nothing is impossible when making the ultimate garage
To collectors, cars are more than just transport — they are works of art. And the buildings used to store them are starting to resemble galleries.
By Adam Hay-Nicholls Published
-
Five beautiful homes, from a barn conversion to an island treasure, as seen in Country Life
Our pick of the best homes to come to the market via Country Life in recent days include a wonderful thatched home in Devon and a charming red-brick house with gardens that run down to the water's edge.
By Toby Keel Published
-
The finest interiors in Edinburgh? A seven-bedroom townhouse furnished by Robert Kime comes to market
Situated on one of the New Town's grandest terraces, this four-storey property is a collector's dream.
By James Fisher Published
-
A Grade II*-listed country manor with one of the most beautiful drawing rooms in England
If Old Manor Farm in Somerset is good enough for Pevsner, it's good enough for you.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
An eight-bedroom home in Surrey where an army of robots will look after your lawns
Do not fear the bladed guardians of Monksfield House. They are here to help.
By James Fisher Published
-
A French castle for sale on the banks of the Dordogne? With a swimming pool? Where do we sign?
This chateau in Lalinde is nothing short of a historical delight in the south of France. And it comes fully furnished.
By James Fisher Last updated
-
Sip your morning tea where Churchill once paced, as his former Pimlico home comes up for sale
The five-bedroom flat in Eccleston Square offers ‘historical gravitas and modern comfort’ in a leafy pocket of London.
By Annabel Dixon Published
-
Live a life of Tudor fancy in this five-bedroom London home with links to Cardinal Wolsey and Henry VIII
Fans of Wolf Hall rejoice, as a rare chance to own a Tudor home inside the M25 comes to market.
By James Fisher Published
-
Murder, intrigue and 'the magic of a bygone era' at this eight-bedroom home set in 25 acres of Devon countryside
Upcott Barton is a family home steeped in history and comes with more than 5,000sq ft of living space.
By Penny Churchill Published