After the best of both worlds? You may just find it with Frognal Rise House, a rare opportunity to own ‘a country house in London’. But you’ll need deep pockets.
Set over three floors, its eye-catching details include Art Nouveau and Tudor stone features outside, and huge murals inside.
The Grade II-listed detached house in Hampstead is on the market for the first time since the 1930s, via Savills and Aston Chase, for a cool £11,000,000.
As these images show, stepping in to Frognal Rise House feels like stepping back a few decades. Fixtures and fittings have a post-war feel to them — not least in the bathroom, with its aquamarine tiling and the magnificent old hospital-style radiators throughout.
But it provides a terrific template to create an impressive home in one of London’s most desirable postcodes — and for those with a keen eye, it also leaves open the chance to make the most of the striking murals left behind by the artist who once lived here.
Let’s start with the lower ground floor, where there’s plenty of renovation angles. It currently comprises a self-contained apartment with its own entrance off Frognal Rise, plus a range of other rooms, including an enormous billiard room.
There’s also a detached garage with enough space for up to four cars — a rare and prized perk in these parts. The terrace above used to have a conservatory on it which could, potentially, be reinstated.
On the ground floor, there’s spacious rooms with large windows: reception room, dining room, kitchen, utility room, morning room and study.
Up to the first floor, the main bedroom has a dressing room and ensuite bathroom. There’s also four further bedrooms and a bathroom. The loft area could also be converted.
The 6,340 sq ft villa is sheltered behind a characterful warm red-brick wall, and features tree-filled gardens on three sides, with a lawned area to the south-west.
This striking property has a rich history. According to Savills, it was home to painter and illustrator Angela Latham and her husband, the musician Peter Latham, a former Gresham Professor in Music.
And during the war years, the house was used as a War Funds Comfort Association depot, where supplies were stockpiled before being distributed to the Armed Forces and the homeless.
Today, it’s just a few minutes’ walk from the eateries, pubs and boutiques of Hampstead Village and the vast green space of the Heath.
The almost endless amenities of central London are also easily accessible, with the Northern line less than a quarter of a mile away.
Frognal Rise House is currently on the market via Savills and Aston Chase for £11,000,000 — see more pictures or enquire with the agents for further details.
Credit: Knight Frank
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