It’s one of those properties that combines a sought-after address with a hell of a historical legacy. Since this summer, the British real estate network Knight Frank has been offering for sale a former Churchill estate. Winston Churchill located at 27, Hyde Park Gate in the London Borough of Kensington. An emblematic location, just a stone’s throw from the Royal Albert Hall or, of course, Hyde Park, and has seduced celebrities such as Madonna, JK Rowling, Stella McCartney or Freddie Mercury. In these conditions, for a listed historic residence of over 530 m² with 200 m² of garden, the price soars: the property is currently listed at £19.5 million, or almost 23.5 million euros. A price close to half the price of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s residence when it was sold in 2016.

Nevertheless, this price is far higher than the 7,000 pounds (equivalent to just under 300,000 euros) Winston Churchill paid in 1946, shortly after his defeat in the 1945 elections, to buy this house adjoining his own at no. 28. He first used it as an office, before actually linking the two buildings into a vast manor house. It was on the first floor of this house that he apparently set up a room for his convalescence after fracturing the neck of his femur while on vacation in Monte Carlo in 1962. “For having been the beloved home of Winston Churchill during a key period in British history, this property represents an illustrious heritage.”James Pace, head of Knight Frank’s Kensington office, tells Mansion Global.

Room with terrace

Organized on 4 levels, this property which is located “in a quiet, prestigious cul-de-sac”. according to the classified ad, offers very contemporary features, having been separated again from n°28 in 1965, just after Churchill’s death. These include a double-height reception room, with a library and lounge on the same level. The chef’s kitchen and breakfast room are on the lower level, as is the formal dining room, not forgetting the gym. The six bedrooms occupy the two upper levels, including the master suite with its terrace. The current owners acquired this prestigious address in 2001 for £5.75 million (€6.9 million).