Luxury grade II Georgian house for sale in the heart of London’s Birdcage Walk for £5.25 million

On Stafford Place, forming part of a row of grade II listed late Georgian townhouses in the heart of Westminster, which have housed statesmen, industrialists, and confidantes of the Royal family over the decades, a freehold six-storey four-bedroom home is for sale for £5.25million with DEXTERS.

Stafford Place is a quietly prestigious prime central London address, sitting between Palace Street and Buckingham Gate, within the Birdcage Walk Conservation Area. The house has been identified by Historic England as dating from either the late 18^th or early 19^th century, and is surrounded by some of the capital’s most iconic landmarks.

Buckingham Palace and St James’s Park are moments away, and No 10 Downing Street and several embassies are within a five-minute walk.Birdcage Walk itself is named after the Royal Menagerie and Aviary, which were located here during the reign of King James I, in the early 1600s, and which King Charles II later expanded. Royal hawks and falcons were housed here, along with, it is said, camels, crocodiles and an elephant.

The property is built of attractive yellow London brick and has a restrained façade punctuated by a round-headed entrance with fanlight and three pairs of elegant sash windows. All beautifully preserved classicism on the outside, inside, the home has been lavishly updated and redecorated by both past and present owners, who have added their own unique stamps.

Each of the six storeys – which together provide over 3,100 sq. ft. of living space – have their own distinct identities. On the lower-ground floor there is a magnificent split-level kitchen and dining room, with stone floors and a jaw-dropping glass atrium-style ceiling above the dining table; glazed doors lead on to a garden, unusually large for SW1, landscaped and planted by Haruko Seki of Studio Lasso. The studio is known for melding traditional Japanese design, which harnesses the natural energy of a site, with more contemporary elements.

On the ground floor, you’ll find a light-flooded study and reception room, and on the first floor there are two further reception rooms, with entire walls of bespoke shelving used to display globally sourced objets d’art, ceramics and curiosities. Over the upper floors there are three large bedrooms, the main bedroom benefiting from a walk-in wardrobe and ensuite bathroom. In the home’s main bathroom, the theme of East meets West continues, with an ofuro, an authentic traditional Japanese wooden bath tub. Tucked away in the basement, there is a handy utility area, as well as a bathroom.

Each of the Georgian houses on Stafford Place are unique, but this house directly neighbours a Blue Plaque property, imbued with a fascinating political and social history. No 16 was the London residence and office of Liberal MP Lord Leslie Hore-Belisha (1893-1957). Educated at Clifton College and Oxford (where he was President of the famed Union debating society), he was called to the bar in 1922, after reaching the rank of major in World War I, and was elected Liberal member of Parliament for Plymouth Devonport in December 1923.

His colourful political career included serving as Financial Secretary to the Treasury, although a key legacy was from his time as Transport Secretary, a role in which he championed the cause of road safety. Desperate to reduce the appalling number of pedestrians and motorists killed on London streets due to the lack of road markings or motoring regulations, in 1934 he introduced what he called “a pedestrian’s lifebelt”, and what is now known as “the Belisha beacon”. The amber-coloured globes atop black-and-white striped poles warning drivers they are approaching a pedestrian crossing can still be seen across the UK today.

A few years later, as Secretary of State for War, Hore-Belisha caused controversy by insisting on easier promotion from the ranks to the officer corps, and the appointment of relatively young generals so older ones could be retired – an unpopular move among senior army officers. Hore-Belisha was sacked from this role by Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain early in World War II, although he is credited with the foresight of introducing conscription in April 1939, at a time when the Premier was still trying to appease Hitler.

A Sephardic Jew, Hore-Belisha was subject to abusive antisemitic propaganda from the Nazis, while also, shockingly, also experiencing prejudice from within British political and military establishments.  After the war, Hore-Belisha was elected to Westminster City Council, and kept dairy cattle from a farm beside Wimbledon Common, although he used his London townhouse until his death.

Today, the properties on Stafford Place are used variously as homes and offices, which gives the street not only a friendly residential feel, but a true sense of the capital’s vibrancy and dynamism. The Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace, Green Park and St James’s Park are moments away. It’s a gentle stroll to Belgravia, a 15-minute walk from the antique emporiums of Pimlico and 20 from Tate Britain. The newly regenerated Victoria is also on the home’s doorstep – the once shabby neighbourhood is now one of London’s most exciting cultural, culinary and social destinations.

Harry Laflin, Manager at DEXTERS Westminster says: “In the heart of Westminster, surrounded by some of the capital’s most iconic landmarks and symbols of power, Stafford Place is a truly extraordinary property. Full of history, the Grade II listed late Georgian freehold townhouse stands out from its neighbours, elegantly arranged over six floors of superb living space.

“Classic Georgian detailing paired with a combination of both contemporary and traditional interiors, plus an unusually large garden for the area, make this home completely unique. It is a true oasis in a quiet, friendly street, with all the best of central London life on its doorstep.”

Stafford Place is extremely well connected, just a short walk away from a selection of underground stations including St James’s Park 0.3m (Circle, District), Hyde Park Corner 0.7m (Piccadilly), Westminster 0.8m (Circle, District, Jubilee) and Victoria 0.8m (Circle, District), where mainline rail network services can also be found, as well as Gatwick Express trains. Mayfair is easily accessible via a pleasant walk across Green Park and Covent Garden is a short walk away through St. James’s Park.

Stafford Place is available to buy for £5.25million. For further information or to arrange a viewing, please contact DEXTERS Westminster on Tel: 020 7590 9570 or visit www.dexters.co.uk