Ooh I say: Terrace house that inspired EastEnders is for sale in Hackney's Fassett Square - for £1.1million

A Victorian terrace house in Hackney that was the original inspiration behind the fictional location of EastEnders has been listed for sale for £1.1 million.

The unmodernised four-bedroom house with a basement and private garden is in east London's Fassett Square, the 'real' location behind the BBC soap's fictional Albert Square.

The owners of the house currently for sale were the original inspiration for Kathy’s Café, the caff taken over by Ian Beale in the mid-Eighties.

“The house has been in our family since I was born. My dad owned a café and they replicated that on the square,” said the current owner.

EastEnders’ creator Julia Smith was originally going to film on location but it was eventually decided to use Elstree Studios instead.

Nonetheless, the soap opera set is a pretty faithful recreation of the Hackney original. The 56 homes in Fassett Square are identical, right down to the measurements, to those built on the Albert Square set location.

Similarities between the two garden squares are less pronounced nowadays than they were when the series’ creators first discovered the Hackney square in 1985, given the rapid gentrification of Hackney in the 32 years since EastEnders was first broadcast.

Back then, the East End was deemed to be a perfect breeding ground for soap opera plots, with Smith describing the “problems of unemployment, bad housing and so on.”

In contrast, house prices in Hackney have risen 753 per cent in the past 20 years alone, according to research from Halifax, while Land Registry figures show the average sold house price in the E8 postcode is now £1,458,000.

"It's in what is now a very affluent area, but back in the Eighties when EastEnders was created, it perhaps wasn't the most desirable area and was a little rough round the edges," said Simon Taylor, of Purplebricks, who are selling the property.

"Back then I'd guess the house would be worth somewhere in the region of £100,000 which shows just a how high the value is in London property these days."

Fassett Square’s residents have returned the communal garden to its former Victorian glory with winding paths and island beds and lawns and it is now a must-visit during Open Garden Squares weekend.

It’s doubtful that the bench in Fassett Square has seen anything like as much drama as its television counterpart, although it still hosts street parties, barbecues and even weddings for residents.

There’s also no pub like the Queen Vic in the Hackney square, although there are several fashionable watering holes nearby, including the Spurstowe Arms, which has been frequented by Keira Knightley among other local celebs.

But, while Hackney may have gentrified beyond recognition, Fassett Square’s roots are still regularly commemorated, according to the vendor.

“They come to the square to celebrate every time there’s an anniversary or special event.”