19th-Century London Mansion Lists for £35 Million

A nearly 12,000-square-foot London home hit the market Friday with a guide price of £35 million. A nearly 12,000-square-foot London home dating to the early 1880s hit the market Friday with a guide price of £35 million (US$47.45 million).

The Queen Anne-style mansion, which is on the market for the first time in 22 years, is one of the last Knightsbridge residences that remains true to its original design, according to agent Becky Fatemi, the founder of Rokstone Properties, which shares the listing with Savills.

“There are now only a handful of large, multistory family houses which are more than 10,000 square feet in central London,” she said. “The trend to hollow out these buildings and splice them up into lateral apartments, which has been particularly prevalent in Knightsbridge, makes the traditional trophy home even rarer.”

Also known as the Stuart House, the red-brick residence was designed in 1880 by the architects F.G Knight and Hunt Steward for Oscar Leslie Stephen, a director of the Northern Railway. It was built by 1884 on the corner of Cadogan Square, one of London’s premiere addresses, and has a Grade II* designation, meaning it’s considered an important building of more than special interest, according to Historic England, a preservation organization.

Parts of the home also have links to the Stuart monarchy centuries earlier. It features a stone relief by French sculptor Joseph Kramer depicting state figures on horseback with the words “James I arrives Scotland,” referring either to King James I of Scotland or King James IV of England of the Stuarts, and “Mary arrives in Scotland,” likely meaning Mary Queen of Scots, according to Historic England.

Many other details remain, including lavish stone-and-plaster molding, a grand staircase and stone fireplaces, according to the listing. The mansion boasts seven bedrooms, six bathrooms and seven reception areas with tall ceilings and the grand proportions of yesteryear. There’s also a study and a den.

The home is adjacent to Cadogan Square Gardens and has a pool and fitness area, the listing said. There’s also a separate staff accommodation.

“I expect a family, art enthusiast or a collector of trophy homes to buy this home, which offers so much space right in the heart of prime central London,” Ms. Fatemi continued. “Following the multiple lockdowns of 2020 and early 2021, our buyers are prioritizing indoor and outside space, wellness facilities, broken-plan homes to provide retreats for different family members and proximity to green space.”

The home last traded in 1999 for £4.5 million, according to Land Registry records. The owners were not available for comment.

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