Former post office depot makes first-class address in E1

Notting Hill London, the private sales division of Notting Hill Housing Group, is delighted to announce the launch of its first scheme in London, Whitechapel Depot on Greatorex Street, a former Royal Mail depot which has been transformed into a collection of stylish value for money contemporary newly built apartments.

Ideally located within a mile of the City, Whitechapel Depot offers a convenient East End home in one of London’s most vibrant neighbourhoods. Formerly the Whitechapel Royal Mail Depot, the Brownfield site has been regenerated into a collection of 51 newly built studio, one and two bedroom apartments. The show apartment has been styled by Studioilse, the design consultancy founded by Ilse Crawford, former editor of Elle Decoration.

Notting Hill London has formed an association with Studioilse, to provide a full contemporary interior design service for its developments, meaning that each Notting Hill London apartment has a bespoke specification from one of the most recognised names in British design.

The site was formerly occupied by the Whitechapel Royal Mail Depot, known officially as the Eastern District Sorting Office, which was responsible for sorting and distributing letters and parcels across the East End of London and Docklands. Founded in the 1850s at the height of the Victorian era, the depot was expanded in 1927 with the establishment of a special 6.5mile mini underground railway which linked the depot with another district sorting office in Paddington.

In its heyday in the 1950s and 60s, the Whitechapel Depot handled over 4million letters and parcels per day and 34 trains ran on the secret underground line. The depot was written about in the novel, The Horn of Mortal Danger (1980), and the railway and depot appeared in the Bruce Willis film Hudson Hawk where it was rebadged as the "Vatican post office", with Bruce Willis stowing himself away in one of the mail containers. The depot was closed in 2003.

The transformation of the former Whitechapel Depot is part of a wider disposal of redundant postal sites by the Royal Mail which is selling a portfolio of 310 properties that are surplus to requirements. The sale is part of an ongoing review of Royal Mail’s huge property empire – 2,700 sites across the UK as the postal service rationalises in the face of fierce competition.

Peter Harris, Development Director of Notting Hill London comments: “Whitechapel Depot is our first scheme, and consists of the transformation of a historic Royal Mail depot to provide well designed, value for money homes ideal for first time buyers and everyday Londoners. Whitechapel Depot is set in a fantastic location, offering potential purchasers everything on their doorstep.”

Designed around a central courtyard, this landmark development is arranged over six floors and features a blend expanse of architectural glazing, cedar cladding and red brick exterior. Large windows create a light and airy feel to the apartments, with some benefiting from private balconies providing views of the inner courtyard or the surrounding area. Whitechapel Depot is set in a gated community and benefits from a landscaped courtyard with trees, plants and places for residents to sit and relax and two communal roof terraces on the first floor.

Studio apartments offer a comfortable living space and feature a living room / bedroom, bathroom. One bedroom apartments feature a contemporary bathroom, bedroom with a built in wardrobe, open plan living room with space for a dining area and separate fully fitted kitchen. Two bedroom apartments feature two double bedrooms, a luxury bathroom, fully fitted kitchen, living and dining room, with larger apartments also featuring an en-suite bathroom.

All the apartments feature modern kitchens with white high gloss finished units, stainless steel sinks, integrated Whirlpool oven and hob, built in Whirlpool fridge/freezer and Whirlpool washing machine and laminate flooring. The contemporary bathrooms have beautiful white suites by Ideal Standard, heated chrome towel rails and floor tiles.

Situated in its own quiet enclave, Whitechapel Depot is within walking distance of Brick Lane, Columbia Road and Spitalfields market and provides easy access to Aldgate Underground Station. This cosmopolitan area offers a huge choice of restaurants, bars, art galleries and shops.

Studio apartments at Whitechapel Depot are priced from approximately £195,000. For more information, visit whitechapeldepot.co.uk.