Thornsett Group

Chaplin, the Astors and the heritage property gold rush

Hackney Empire plays a leading role in a new scheme of 22 apartments and three mews houses being built right next door to the historic theatre.
Chaplin Apartments, by Thornsett Group, gets its name from Gold Rush star Charlie Chaplin, one of a string of celebrated entertainers who trod the boards at the famous music hall and variety venue, an Edwardian gem modelled on a grand Italian opera house.
The new apartments will sit above new rehearsal rooms and are part of a development deal that aims to put the theatre on a firm financial footing. Formerly a storage warehouse for props and costumes, the site has another famous association: this is where some of the gold stolen in the 1983 Brink’s-Mat robbery was secretly stashed.
This is the heart of up-and-coming Hackney, a “new era” London address and a continuing beneficiary of the regeneration ripple spreading from the Olympic zone in nearby Stratford.
The East London line extension to Dalston has added a further boost. Hackney now has four stations plugged into the Tube network whereas previously it had none. Wider regeneration is continuing along the Regent’s Canal; former council blocks are being redeveloped and Victorian terraces are smartening up as young professionals and families move in.
Once-derelict London Fields Lido has been restored, while boarded-up premises along formerly run-down Broadway Market have been turned into art cafés, delis, bars, bookshops and boutiques. A weekend farmers’ market has a hundred or so stalls selling organic food and posh cakes (plus vintage clothes, jewellery and bric-a-brac), to a trendy crowd of smart young urbanites, bohemian types and yoga mums.
Prices at Chaplin Apartments start at £320,000, rising to £585,000 for a three-bedroom duplex penthouse with striking views of the City. Call estate agent Currell on 020 7226 6611.