The Claymore
Overview & Key Facts
The Claymore stands on Claymore Road in District 9, occupying one of the most coveted addresses in Singapore — a quiet residential pocket tucked behind Orchard Road’s flagship malls and within a five-minute walk of both Tanglin and the Goodwood enclave. Developed by Tokyo Land Corporation Singapore and completed in 1985, this 146-unit freehold development is one of the older luxury condominiums in the Claymore Hill micro-market, but its land tenure and address have kept it firmly in the conversation alongside far newer launches.
Despite its 40-year age, The Claymore continues to transact at a meaningful premium — the last 12 months produced an average PSF of S$3,203 with a median quantum of S$11.2 million. That pricing reflects the simple reality of Claymore Road: very few sites of this size, this close to Orchard MRT, will ever come to market again. Most units are large-format three- and four-bedroom layouts of 2,000 to 3,500 sqft, the kind of floor plates that have all but disappeared from new CCR launches.
Buyer demographics skew international and ultra-high-net-worth: the development is popular with regional family offices, expatriate executives on Orchard postings, and Singaporean owner-occupiers who value the “old D9” aesthetic of low-rise buildings, mature trees, and direct walkability to the Tanglin Mall, Far East Plaza, and ION Orchard ecosystem. It is, in short, a product that exists for buyers who do not want to live in glass towers and who treat freehold tenure on a 0.40 km MRT plot as the actual asset.
Location & Connectivity
Few addresses in Singapore can claim what The Claymore offers on the connectivity front. Orchard MRT (NSL/TEL interchange) sits 400 m away via a sheltered walking route through Tanglin Mall — a genuine 5-minute walk, not a marketing claim. Orchard Boulevard MRT (Thomson-East Coast Line) is 540 m, Napier MRT 930 m, and Newton MRT (NSL/DTL interchange) is just over 1 km. Three MRT lines reachable on foot is exceptional even by CCR standards, and the imminent maturity of the TEL has materially improved the connectivity picture for the entire Claymore Hill cluster.
For drivers, the development is ringed by major arteries: Orchard Boulevard, Tanglin Road, and Stevens Road feed directly onto the CTE and PIE within minutes. Marina Bay is reachable in around 10 minutes off-peak; the CBD around 8 minutes; Changi Airport via the ECP in under 25 minutes outside rush hour. School-run logistics for ACS (Primary) on Barker Road and SCGS on Dunearn Road are well under 10 minutes by car.
Daily-life amenities are essentially “step out of the lobby” territory. Tanglin Mall, Forum the Shopping Mall, and Tanglin Place are all within 350 m, anchored by a Cold Storage that has been the de facto Orchard expat grocery for two decades. Far East Plaza, Wheelock Place, and ION Orchard are 8–12 minutes on foot. The Botanic Gardens (a UNESCO World Heritage site) is a 15-minute walk via the back roads behind Tanglin. For F&B, the Dempsey Hill restaurant cluster is one short Grab away.
Schools are unusually dense for a CCR address. St. Anthony’s Primary, ISS International (Preston and Paterson campuses), and Chatsworth International (Orchard) all sit within 600 m. ACS (Primary), Methodist Girls’ School, and Singapore Chinese Girls’ School (Primary) fall within the 1–1.15 km band — not all guaranteed within the 1 km P1 priority radius, but close enough that the school-run logistics work.
Schools & Education
2 primary schools within the 1 km Priority Phase balloting radius.
| School | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| St. Anthony's Primary School | primary | Within 1 km |
| ISS International School (Preston) | international | Within 1 km |
| ISS International School (Paterson) | international | Within 1 km |
| Chatsworth International School (Orchard) | international | Within 1 km |
| Anglo-Chinese School (Primary) | primary | Within 1 km |
| Methodist Girls' School | secondary | ~1.0 km |
| Singapore Chinese Girls' School (Primary) | primary | ~1.1 km |
| Methodist Girls' School (Primary) | primary | ~1.2 km |
Facilities
The Claymore was built in 1985, and its facility set reflects that vintage rather than contemporary launch standards. The development offers the core amenities expected of a luxury D9 freehold: a swimming pool, a small gymnasium, a tennis court, BBQ pits, and 24-hour concierge security. There is no sky terrace, no co-working lounge, no infinity pool wrapping a 60-storey tower — but for the buyer profile, this is rarely the point. The ground-level pool deck is genuinely tranquil, screened by mature foliage and well removed from Claymore Road traffic noise. Maintenance has been kept to a high standard, with the management council historically funded for refurbishment cycles.
“The pool and grounds are immaculate for a development this age — you can tell the MCST has been actively reinvesting. It is a quiet, dignified place to come home to after a day in the Orchard chaos.”
— Resident review via PropertyGuru, 2024
Buyers comparing The Claymore to newer launches like The Avenir or Irwell Hill Residences should calibrate expectations carefully: those projects offer 30+ facilities, multiple pools, and full clubhouse infrastructure. The Claymore offers space, freehold tenure, and an irreplaceable address — not a resort experience. Maintenance fees are correspondingly moderate for the quantum bracket, typically S$1,200–S$1,800 per month depending on share value.
Pricing & Market Position
Based on 8 recorded transactions, sale prices range from $7,900,000 to $11,680,000, averaging $9,766,111 (~$3,203 psf).
Rents range from $7,300 to $26,000 per month across 246 rental transactions. Current rental yield sits at approximately 1.3%.
Price Appreciation
From 2022 to 2026, the average PSF has appreciated by 3.9% (from $3,220 to $3,346 psf).
Neighbourhood Comparison
The Claymore’s closest direct competitor is The Avenir on River Valley Close — both are freehold D9 luxury developments at roughly comparable PSF (S$3,203 vs S$3,190). The Avenir offers newer construction (TOP 2023), full modern facilities, and a sleeker tower silhouette; The Claymore offers far larger unit sizes per dollar, closer MRT proximity (0.40 km vs ~1.2 km to Great World), and four decades of tested capital preservation. Irwell Hill Residences and River Green represent the leasehold alternative at S$2,726–S$3,135 psf — cheaper on a PSF basis but with a 99-year clock and significantly smaller unit footprints.
For Newton-area comparison, Kopar at Newton at S$2,512 psf offers a leasehold alternative with strong MRT interchange access (NSL/DTL) but lacks the prime Orchard walkability and freehold tenure that defines The Claymore’s positioning. The buyer choice ultimately reduces to: do you value the exact Claymore Road address, large floor plates, and freehold scarcity (Claymore) — or modern facility infrastructure and a cleaner price entry on a leasehold clock (Irwell Hill, River Green, Kopar)? Both bets can be defended, but they are very different products despite the geographic proximity.
| Development | Tenure | TOP | Units | ~Avg PSF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE CLAYMORE | Freehold | 1985 | 146 | $3,203 |
| IRWELL HILL RESIDENCES | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2020 | 2021 | 540 | $2,726 |
| RIVER GREEN | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2024 | 2025 | 524 | $3,135 |
| RIVER MODERN | 99 years leasehold | — | — | $3,237 |
| THE AVENIR | Freehold | 2021 | 376 | $3,190 |
| KOPAR AT NEWTON | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2019 | 2021 | 378 | $2,512 |
ShiokNest Scores
Our proprietary scoring system evaluates THE CLAYMORE across multiple dimensions.
What Residents Say
“Lived here for eight years. The location is unbeatable — I walk to Orchard MRT in 5 minutes, grocery shop at Cold Storage Tanglin, and the kids walk to Chatsworth. The unit is 2,200 sqft, which we’d never get in a new launch at the same quantum.”
— Resident review via 99.co, 2024
“Facilities are basic compared to the new launches but honestly we use the pool and tennis court and that’s about it. The grounds are quiet and the security is excellent. For our family it’s the right trade-off.”
— Resident review via EdgeProp, 2023
“The building is showing its age in places — lift lobbies could use a refresh and the carpark is tight by modern standards. But for a 1985 development the structural maintenance has been very well managed. We renovated our unit and it now feels brand new inside.”
— Resident review via PropertyGuru, 2024
The pattern across review platforms is consistent: residents value the location, unit sizes, and freehold tenure above all else, and treat the dated facilities as an acceptable compromise. Common mild complaints include carpark tightness (1985 design standards), occasional lift maintenance, and the need for individual unit renovation to bring interiors up to current standards. Long tenure among current owners is notable — a meaningful proportion of units have been held by the same family for 15+ years, which speaks to genuine owner-occupier satisfaction rather than purely investment turnover.
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Freehold tenure on a Claymore Road plot — irreplaceable land position
- Orchard MRT (NSL/TEL interchange) just 400 m away via sheltered route
- Three MRT lines walkable: Orchard, Orchard Boulevard, Newton
- Walkability score 88/100 — top decile for Singapore residential
- Large unit sizes (2,000–3,500 sqft) vs ~1,000–1,300 sqft in new launches
- Direct walking access to Tanglin Mall, Forum, ION Orchard, Far East Plaza
- Multiple international schools within 600 m (ISS, Chatsworth)
- Botanic Gardens reachable on foot via Tanglin back roads
- En-bloc score 68/100 — credible collective-sale optionality on 146 units
- High owner-occupier tenure — strong community stability
- Gross yield 1.29% — quantum too high for income-focused investors
- Median quantum S$11.2M — capital deployment hurdle is substantial
- Facility set is basic — no infinity pool, sky deck, or co-working lounge
- Building age (TOP 1985) — interiors typically need S$300K+ renovation
- Carpark tight by modern standards (1985 design)
- No private lift lobbies or modern smart-home infrastructure
- Lift lobbies and common corridors showing age in places
- Investment score 56/100 reflects yield drag despite location strength
- No direct sheltered access to MRT — short outdoor walk required
Verdict
The Claymore is not a yield play, and pretending otherwise would be misleading. The current gross yield of 1.29% places it firmly in the “capital preservation, not income generation” bucket. What it offers instead is one of the cleanest freehold positions in Singapore’s Core Central Region: a 0.40 km walk to an MRT interchange, an irreplaceable Claymore Road address, and unit sizes that no new launch will reproduce at this price point. For ultra-high-net-worth buyers parking S$10–S$15 million in a tangible Singapore asset with no lease decay, the math works on a 20-year horizon even with modest annual appreciation.
The competitive question is always: The Claymore versus The Avenir, or versus a fresh leasehold launch like Irwell Hill Residences or River Green? Each represents a different bet. The Avenir gives you newer construction and a fresher freehold tower at S$3,190 psf. Irwell Hill at S$2,726 psf gives you facilities, modern unit configurations, and a 99-year clock. The Claymore at S$3,203 psf gives you 2x the floor area per dollar, the closest MRT proximity in the cluster, and a tenure profile that becomes more valuable as Singapore’s freehold supply shrinks each year.
For buyers focused purely on rental income, look elsewhere — the quantum is too high relative to achievable rent. For buyers focused on legacy planning, multi-generational use, or capital preservation in a CCR freehold of meaningful scale, The Claymore remains a credible choice. The en-bloc score of 68/100 is the wildcard: at 146 units on a freehold Claymore Road parcel, a successful collective sale at any point in the next decade would deliver a substantial uplift over current pricing — a tail-risk positive that newer leasehold launches simply cannot offer.