Howzat for a view? Dream flats that give owners one of the most coveted views in cricket with terrace overlooking the Oval go on sale

Daily Mail​

5 hours ago

Cricket fans who want to stay at the heart of the action will be bowled over by a set of dream flats overlooking one of the sport's most iconic venues.
The plush properties at Oval Mansions offer exceptional views of the Oval in south London and have now gone up for sale for between £400,000 and £600,000.
Those who can stump up the cash will be the envy of cricket lovers across the country as they take in the Tests from the building's stunning roof terrace.
And they can even bring friends along to watch the drama unfold, though strict limits are sometimes enforced for the highest-profile games.
During the Ashes series between England and Australia, spots on the terrace are so highly sought after that plus ones are limited to just one per flat, with management regularly having to eject those who manage to sneak in.
TV coverage from matches at the Oval regularly cuts to the swish viewing point, which was built just after the ground itself in the 1880s and is the last remaining building which mimics the shape of the hallowed stadium.
And things often get slightly out of hand up on the terrace, with tenants telling infamous stories of when fans brought cheese fondues, Magnum bottles of wine and even full English breakfasts up to the rooftop to enjoy during a match.
Joe Redmond, who has rented a flat at Oval Mansions for around two years, reminisced about the last Ashes series whilst watching Tuesday's ODI match between England and the West Indies from his vantage point.
The 28-year-old, a civil servant at the Department for Transport, took the day off to watch England's third successive win with his girlfriend's dad, David Bartley, who had travelled from the Midlands for the match.
He said: 'We made sure we moved in a week before the last Ashes test.
'We've seen some great Tests up here. We saw Stuart Broad's last wicket up here.
'It's nice to go between the ground and the terrace... It's a different atmosphere up here - it's great.'
Mr Redmond recalled answering the door to a BBC camera crew accompanied by England cricket legend Phil Tuffnell during the last Ashes Test in August 2023.
'Phil Tuffnell came up here and filmed a bit, saying it was the best terrace in the world,' he added. 'He got us to do stuff like pretend someone had just got a wicket.
'It was crazy during the Ashes. People were getting to the terrace for 8am to secure a spot.
'One group had a massive cheese fondue, another group had a massive bowl of punch... One guy had a Magnum (1.5 litre) bottle of wine he was sharing round. It was the best atmosphere.'
Another tenant, Olga Tyurina, had invited friend Ollie Carter over to watch the match.
The 29-year-old has lived at Oval Mansions for around a year and a half and believes watching on the terrace is better than forking out for a ticket in the ground.
'I've seen quite a few matches,' she said. 'I've never been in the stadium - it's better seats up here: no queue for the toilets, cheaper drinks, cold beers.
'I've seen people bring a full English up here for a Sunday morning match. There can't be many places with a view like this.
'My husband came to view our flat and said, "That's it - that's where we're moving". I didn't complain.'
Greg Morris, who works in software sales, moved into his flat at Oval Mansions just three months ago and says the terrace was a huge selling point in the move.
'The view definitely had sway in my decision,' the 30-year-old admitted. 'I was a member at the Oval when I first moved to London, but this view is mental - you might as well be in the stands.
'I've got the day off work to come and watch. It would be hard to argue against this being the best cricket property in the world. I think it's one of the prettiest stadiums in England.'
Henry Stalder, 23, also recently moved in and said: 'I have been to the Oval a few times. A few of my friends are members... But I saw this place come up and thought it was perfect.
'It saves on the membership fees. [The terrace] was a big selling point. The main attraction. I've got a few friends coming up later. It's a different, fun view. It's like having a season ticket included in the rent.'
Management consultant Tom had brought his friend Dom, a doctor, to the terrace for the ODI match.
'It's my second season of cricket [at Oval Mansions],' Tom said. 'I've probably seen 20 or 30 matches... It's so convenient and not a bad lifestyle.
'It would be good to do an Ashes weekend. The quality of the Oval itself attracts high-profile games. With the quality of the view, you might as well be in the crowd.
'You can bring friends up and not have to worry about forking out for beers and stuff. The view was the main reason me and my housemate moved here.
'We are both big cricket fans, and opportunities like this don't come around often.'
Anish Ram, who works in trading, agreed the terrace was the main draw to his flat, which he moved into around nine months ago.
'It's a different kind of experience up here,' the 24-year-old, who took the day off to watch the ODI, said. 'I'm a pretty big cricket fan... It's the main reason I came here.'
Meanwhile, marketing worker Ollie Pearce and girlfriend Freya Hatter, a marine biologist, came up to the terrace with a meal deal on their lunch break.
Mr Pearce, 28, also recently moved in and was excited to catch some matches from the terrace.
He said: 'I've only been to the one so far. Surrey versus Yorkshire. We saw Jonny Bairstow back at York and Surrey won, which is always good.
'You can't really beat it, can you?'
The building's halcyon days fell during the iconic 2005 Ashes when cricketing greats mixed with tenants and the world's media on its rooftop to watch England beat Australia to win back the Ashes urn for the first time since the 1980s.
TV teams rented flats and moved their operations to the building, while some directors were said to have left their seats in the corporate stands in favour of watching from the terrace.