Downshire Hill, London, NW3
- PROPERTY TYPE
Semi-Detached
- BEDROOMS
5
- BATHROOMS
2
- SIZE
2,379 sq ft
221 sq m
- TENUREDescribes how you own a property. There are different types of tenure - freehold, leasehold, and commonhold.Read more about tenure in our glossary page.
Freehold
Key features
- Historic Regency Gothic Residence – A distinguished early 19th-century home, part of one of the oldest surviving pairs on Downshire Hill, with a balconied façade and more charm than Colin Firth.
- Spacious Accommodation (2,379 sq ft) – Arranged across versatile living spaces with five bedrooms and two bathrooms, offering both practicality and elegance.
- Multiple Reception Rooms – Includes a formal dining room, garden room, TV room, and study, creating a balance between entertaining and private family living.
- Rich Cultural Heritage – Once home to composer Martin Shaw, stage designer Edward Gordon Craig, and novelist Elizabeth Jenkins, with connections to British theatre and literature.
- Idyllic Setting – Set discreetly behind a generous front garden on Hampstead’s most sought-after street, lined with elegant Regency villas and historic architecture.
- Proximity to Hampstead Heath – Just moments from 800 acres of parkland, woodland, and swimming ponds, offering an unrivalled balance of heritage living and natural open space.
Description
Most houses grate, this house is great.
Set discreetly behind a generous front garden, this balconied Regency Gothic house is part of a distinguished pair—believed to be among the oldest homes on Downshire Hill, dating back to the early 19th century. Between 1815 and 1822, during the reign of George III under the Regency of his son George IV, houses were constructed at the top of the street. These early villas at Nos. 4–8, including this one, remain some of Hampstead’s most evocative Regency residences.
The house has played host to a remarkable history. From 1900 to 1902 it was the headquarters of the Purcell Operatic Society, where composer Martin Shaw—who later wrote All Things Bright and Beautiful and Morning Has Broken—lived with stage designer Edward Gordon Craig. Together they staged productions that influenced a generation of British theatre. Decades later, the novelist and biographer Elizabeth Jenkins (1905–2010) lived here from the 1930s until her death, writing some of her most celebrated works from within these walls.
Presented in excellent decorative order, the five-bedroom, two-bathroom home unfolds with a natural flow across versatile living spaces: a study, dining and reception areas, tv room, and a delightful garden room. Every corner speaks of both charm and purpose, balancing daily life with moments of quiet inspiration.
Location:
“Sloping gently down towards the Heath, Downshire Hill is regarded as one of Hampstead’s finest streets.“ – Remarkable Homes of NW3, by David S. Percy
Downshire hill is renowned for its charm and historical significance. As noted in Remarkable Homes of NW3, this "dignified development" began in the Regency period and has since drawn notable residents, including the painter John Constable. The street is lined with elegant stuccoed brick villas featuring cast-iron balconies, bay windows, and canopies, many of which are listed, preserving the architectural beauty of Hampstead's past.
Extending from Rosslyn Hill to East Heath Road, Downshire Hill meets the entrance to Hampstead Heath—an 800-acre natural haven with open parkland, scenic trails, woodlands, and peaceful open-water swimming ponds.
Garden
19.81m x 7.44m
- COUNCIL TAXA payment made to your local authority in order to pay for local services like schools, libraries, and refuse collection. The amount you pay depends on the value of the property.Read more about council Tax in our glossary page.
- Band: H
- PARKINGDetails of how and where vehicles can be parked, and any associated costs.Read more about parking in our glossary page.
- Ask agent
- GARDENA property has access to an outdoor space, which could be private or shared.
- Private garden
- ACCESSIBILITYHow a property has been adapted to meet the needs of vulnerable or disabled individuals.Read more about accessibility in our glossary page.
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Energy performance certificate - ask agent
Downshire Hill, London, NW3
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Visit our security centre to find out moreDisclaimer - Property reference 6dfb10d5-c0f1-4d9c-939b-d9910b4cc23e. The information displayed about this property comprises a property advertisement. Rightmove.co.uk makes no warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of the advertisement or any linked or associated information, and Rightmove has no control over the content. This property advertisement does not constitute property particulars. The information is provided and maintained by KIRE, London. Please contact the selling agent or developer directly to obtain any information which may be available under the terms of The Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) (England and Wales) Regulations 2007 or the Home Report if in relation to a residential property in Scotland.
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