Painters & Decorators on Justice Walk, Chelsea SW3

Justice Walk is one of Chelsea's great secrets — a narrow pedestrian passage of Georgian cottages tucked behind Royal Hospital Road, known only to those who live there or have discovered it by happy accident. The walk takes its name from the court that once stood nearby, and the cottages date from the late eighteenth century, making them among the oldest surviving residential buildings in Chelsea. They are of the most modest scale: two-storey brick cottages of perhaps fifteen feet width and two rooms deep, with tiny front gardens enclosed by simple iron railings and front doors opening almost directly onto the narrow pedestrian path. These cottages are exceptionally well-preserved examples of the small domestic building of Georgian Chelsea — the housing of tradespeople, craftsmen, and junior professionals who served the more fashionable households nearby. Listed building status protects many of the cottages, and the entire walk is within the Chelsea Conservation Area. Interior spaces are intimate: ceiling heights of perhaps 2.3 to 2.5 metres, simple fireplace surrounds, modest sash windows with original glazing bars, and compact floor plans that require careful sequencing of decorating work due to the limited space for equipment and materials. Despite their modest scale, these cottages are highly prized addresses in Chelsea, and their owners maintain them to a high standard. Decorating work on Justice Walk is almost invariably by specialist craftsmen who appreciate the historic significance of these exceptional survivors.