A London Property with Ties to The Beatles and Oscar Wilde Lists for $9.39 Million
The Victorian townhouse is located in Ovington Gardens, on land that was originally owned by a baroness
A London property with a star-studded history has hit the market for $9.39 million. The listing is a five-bedroom, three-bath Victorian townhouse with 3,014 square feet of living space. Known as Ovington Gardens, this enclave has hosted a number of notable figures over the years, including Oscar Wilde and his mom, poet Jane Wilde, as well as Vera Bate Lombardi, a close associate and muse of Coco Chanel, and Ernestine Bowes-Lyon, cousin to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. It even served as the headquarters for The Beatles’ multimedia company, Apple Corps.
In the mid-1800s, this land was owned by Elizabeth Standerwick Baroness Van Zandt. She inherited the home from her late husband, and she collaborated with architect William Wilmer Pocock to design the development. The name “Ovington” comes from her childhood Queen Anne home, Ovington House, located in Hampshire, England.
“The location of this home is fantastic,” listing agent Stine Kaus tells Galerie. “It is positioned perfectly between Knightsbridge and Chelsea, giving you easy access to the best of both worlds.”
Kaus adds, “Ovington Gardens bridges two of London’s most iconic postcodes: you get the refined, quiet residential charm of a historic garden enclave, combined with immediate access to Hyde Park alongside the world-class shopping of Harrods of Sloane Street.”
A unique feature of this five-floor home is its private outdoor space, in the form of a southwest-facing rear garden. A rare luxury in London, this feature offers copious amounts of sunlight and privacy.
As for the historic property’s interior design, there is an equilibrium of old and new. “By honoring classic details like high ceilings and original cornicing while adding integrated air-conditioning, rich herringbone wood floors, and a daylight-flooding skylight, the owner has achieved the perfect balance of period elegance and effortless contemporary living,” says Kaus.