Listing of the Day
Location: Hampstead, London
Price: £4 million(US$5.6 million)
The Hampstead neighborhood was a rural village when the painter John Constable lived at 40 Well Walk.
His residence there, from 1827 to 1837, earned the Georgian house a blue plaque bearing his name. The house is only one block from the vast park of Hampstead Heath. Well Walk is the main street running from the park to the center of Hampstead village.
The street is so named for a natural spring, where the Chalybeate Well drew people in search of the iron-rich water, decreed in 1698 to be free for the benefit of the poor. In the 18th century, Well Walk was as famous a spa as Bath. The Chalybeate Well is almost directly across the street.
Constable was known for his paintings of English landscapes and depicted houses in the neighborhood as well as Hampstead Heath. His works are in museums in the U.K. and around the world.
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The house was built in the early 19th century and is Grade II* listed, not only for the historical significance of the architecture, but also for its famous occupant.
"It has some very pretty fireplaces and cornices, some Georgian, some Victorian," said Peter Brookes, director, residential, for Savills. "There are beautiful original latches, locks, hinges and wooden shutters. It’s really pretty stuff that’s been there a long time and that adds to the character."
The house is on the market for the first time in 30 years.
Stats
The townhouse has 2,250 square feet over five floors, with four bedrooms and two bathrooms. There is a 670-square-foot walled terrace.
Amenities
The home has three reception rooms, high ceilings and hardwood floors.
More:A Spacious London Townhouse With the City’s Oldest Fig Tree Out Back
Neighborhood notes
"Hampstead is a very affluent neighborhood with a strong sense of community," Mr. Brookes said. "It’s one of several London villages, and life here is centered around the spectacular 800-acre Heath."
Hampstead offers not only a bucolic setting with easy access to the city center but also some of London’s finest schools.
Well Walk is one of the neighborhood’s prettiest streets and is a short walk to the shops and restaurants of Hampstead High Street. Three Underground stations are nearby.
The neighborhood has always attracted literary luminaries, such as poet John Keats, novelist D.H. Lawrence and writer Kingsley Amis. It also is home to contemporary celebrities in music, film and the arts.
Agent: Peter Brookes, Savills
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