His portrayals of London in his literature may have been bleak, but his summer home in the city was anything but.
‘Of course I had no experience of a London summer day,’ wrote Charles Dickens in Great Expectations. ‘And my spirits may have been oppressed by the hot exhausted air, and by the dust and grit that lay thick on everything.’ As I sit here and type, I have all too much experience of a London Summer day, and more than oppressed by the hot exhausted air.
The garden room. There are a lot of mirrors in this house.
If I were a man of great means, as well as great expectations, I might be tempted to open up my chequebook and investigate purchasing a property on Hanover Terrace, near Regent’s Park in London. One such example is for sale with Sotheby’s International Realty, for a not insignificant sum of £18.95 million.
The dining room. Look at those windows and high ceilings.
In 1861, Dickens himself had the same idea, taking residence there for the summer and, considering his usually melancholy opinions of the city in his writing, he found it ‘quite delightful’.
Terrace at the front of the house. ‘Quite delightful’ indeed.
It’s not hard to see why. The property is part of one of London’s most famous streets, designed by John Nash in 1822 and listed Grade I. Nor was Dickens the only famous resident of that street, with Ralph Vaughan Williams, Anthony Salvin, Harold Pinter and H. G. Wells all having lived on Hanover Terrace.
One of the bedrooms suites, with exceptional views over Regent’s Park.
The property for sale is a symphony of luxury. With five bedrooms and five bathrooms, it extends to more than 5,000sq ft of living space set over five floors. In the garden, there is also a separate mews house, offering a further 1,000sq ft on two floors, with two bedrooms. Seven beds, seven baths in total. Not bad for a home inside the Circle Line.
Bar area, because why not.
Amenities included within the property are state of the out, blending timeless early-Victorian elegance such as large sash windows and high ceilings with contemporary comfort. There is a gym and a sauna. The garden is south-west facing and spacious. And, of course, Regent’s Park is right on your doorstep.
One of the exceptionally spacious reception rooms.
While Dickens may have written about the overwhelming horror and oppressive nature of the nation’s capital, he certainly wasn’t living it at Hanover Terrace.
Entrance to the mews house in the garden.
Originally published in Countrylife UK August 12 2024.
