This South London Georgian Townhouse Has Hosted The Crown & Joanna Lumley
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1 hour ago
Once the site of a slum, this historic property has been lovingly restored by its current owner
From Burghley House to Somerleyton Hall, The Crown has been set in many stunning locations. While perhaps lesser-known than these ostentatious halls, this Georgian townhouse in Kennington boasts its own storied history. Lovingly restored by the current owner, we sat down with him to find out what it takes to revive a historic home to its former glory – and what it’s like sharing your home with a film crew.
How This Georgian Townhouse (& Former Slum) Was Lovingly Restored
Knight Frank
A black limousine rolls up at 8:30am, a shock of blonde hair struts through your front door, and before you know it you’re on your back lawn smoking with Joanna Lumley, coffee cups clutched firmly in hand, and a crew impatiently waiting to get the cameras rolling.
The site of this glamorous affair? Frank Hollmeyer’s carefully restored Georgian home. While he can’t quite remember why he was blowing smoke with the Absolutely Fabulous star – the name of the project currently alluding him – he can report that she was ‘utterly delightful’ and ‘absolutely fantastic’ (a painfully close miss off a potential pun). Lumley’s mysterious TV project aside, the Kennington property has also featured in an Apple TV series, though since Frank does not subscribe to Apple TV he never quite worked out what it’s called. And then there’s the crowning jewel, as it were: one of the nation’s most beloved series, The Crown.
Relishing the novelty of having a film crew buzzing around (‘they’re very fascinating people; they’re always super polite, very nice and interesting’), Frank’s home is credited in series four episode eight of the royal show – the season where we finally meet the late Princess Diana as well as Margaret Thatcher. His period perfect property served as the set for the private residence of Queen Elizabeth’s press secretary Michael Shea (played by Nicholas Farrell) where we see him work on his book and cope with Queen Elizabeth’s upset about the South Africa policy.
Despite its current celebrity status, Frank’s Grade II listed home was not always so camera-ready. Having acquired the property in 2012 from a family who had lived there for 28 years, the home had lost much of its original character. While it was structurally in a good shape, it had been modernised over time, losing its historic charm and period features.
The History
Built in 1792 during the rule of King George III, the properties in West Square were originally designed to house the professional middle classes. Or, to be more precise, the doctors and medical staff at the infamous Bethlem Royal Hospital – aka Bedlam, then dubbed the ‘lunatic asylum’, which now houses the present-day Imperial War Museum.
By the 19th century, however, the properties had deteriorated, with 15 to 20 people crammed into each room in many. Looking to provide better living conditions for the poor, the council stepped in during the interwar period to transform the properties into council housing. Splicing up the historic homes into separate flats, they wiped out many key period features in the process, such as the marble fireplaces and shutter box windows.
Eventually realising these grand Georgian homes were never fit council housing, they were eventually restored to individual single family dwellings in the mid 1960s. With wood chip wallpaper (shudder) and not a period feature in sight, when Frank bought his home decades later he saw an opportunity to restore the property to its former glory.
The Restoration
A lover of the Georgian aesthetic, Frank wanted to give dignity back to his Kennington home. ‘I think these houses are so beautiful,’ he says, ‘and they’ve lasted so long. They’ve survived two world wars. I think they deserve being validated in that way again.’
Enjoying the process of peeling back the layers of his history, he collaborated with his friend Tim Whittaker from The Spitalfields Trust to give the house the treatment it deserved. Whittaker advised him on the historic elements which would make it a picture perfect late 18th century home: the moldings, the fireplaces, the dimensions of the shutter boxes… Bringing in specialist workmen, the pair were able to bring their faithful vision to life.
Knight Frank
Thoughtfully restored, the end-product balances historical integrity with modern-day comfort, exuding a sense of legacy, elegance and craftsmanship. This careful attention to detail can best be seen in Frank’s favourite room in the house: the leaf-green drawing room where he now (ever the history enthusiast) displays his collection of Flemish and Dutch 17th century art.
While he admits his home’s features on screen and in the pages of glossy magazines flatter his vanity (‘it is sort of a validation’), the shot at interiors fame was never the push behind the project. Guests may often enter with a gasp of ‘oh my, it looks like Sir John Soane’s Museum’, but for Frank the very fact his house is not a museum but a lived-in home is what makes it so special.
Where many other Georgian homes have been modernised, Fran is proud to have curated a space where the insides match the out. Though he is keen to preserve the future charm for future generations, he also believes it’s important to remember that these are just things. ‘Never have too much of an emotional attachment,’ he says. ‘These are just houses. They are just things. I had a wonderful time here and I’m really looking forward to someone else having a wonderful time here. But I’m certainly looking forward to my next project and my next chapter.’
Step Inside
Arranged over five floors, the lower ground floor of this Kennington townhouse features a kitchen at its heart, as well as an open-plan dining area and a light-filled conservatory which leads to a landscaped garden via French doors.
On the raised ground floor the double reception room spans the full depth of the house, boasting original wooden flooring, high ceilings, a feature fireplace and sash windows overlooking West Square and the gardens.
The formal sitting room on the first floor has potential to be transformed into a principal bedroom, as does the panelled study and library. On the second floor is a further double bedroom with another two on the top floor as well.
Where Is It?
Set in the picturesque West Square in Kennington, the property is only a short walk from the Elephant & Castle tube station. Located on a garden square and a five minute walk from the park surrounding the Imperial War Museum, the area is surrounded by greenery.
This property is on the market for £2,500,000. Find out more at knightfrank.com
