Historic Houses in Georgian London
It would be easy to assume that Spitalfields was first developed in the late 17th century as there is little evidence above ground of any earlier buildings. However, life in this area of London, just outside the City Walls, began several centuries earlier with what became known as St Mary’s Priory which was founded in 1197 and was responsible for looking after the sick, “Spitele” meaning hospital. Over time the Priory and its associated grounds covered much of the surrounding area and where Elder Street stands today would once have been the Priory’s orchard and gardens.

The demise of the Priory came at the hands of Henry VIII at the time of the Dissolution of the Monasteries and by 1560 those buildings that were still standing had been turned into houses or tenements. Gradually the land fell into private hands and as the demand for housing grew following the Great Fire of London in 1666 and the commercial opportunity to build new houses on land that had escaped the Fire was realised. Amongst those who took the opportunity of acquiring a building lease for six houses was William Goswell who in 1724 set about building quality houses on the corner of Folgate Street and Elder Street, including what is now known as 32 Elder Street. Originally a mixture of merchant’s houses and buildings with weavers’ lofts, Elder Street is now one of the best-preserved streets of Georgian house in London and is more uniform than most other surviving streets of this period. Goswell is credited with the use of high quality bricks for the facades of his buildings and the restrained attention to detail.

32 Elder Street was to go on to become the home of one of this country’s most celebrated artists, Mark Gertler who lived there during the early part of the 20th century. Towards the end of the century it became the discrete headquarters building for Timothy Everest MBE one of Britain’s most talented bespoke tailors. From his Spitalfields atelier his style and designs have gone on to grace the catwalks around the world. In moving his business to a new high-profile building in Spitalfields there is an opportunity for a buyer to either continue using the property as office premises or take advantage of the planning, that has been granted, and restore the house as a private residence in a remarkably quiet Georgian street, where time seems to have almost stood still for nearly three hundred years. The asking price is £2,000,000.

Jackson-Stops is proud to represent the owners of a fascinating collection of historic homes. We understand the preferences of serious buyers who look for a dedicated platform that specialises in period homes, historic houses, and listed buildings. Visit our collection of historic homes for sale and get in touch with your local branch today.

Dawn Carritt
www.historic.houses@jackson-stops.co.uk
020 7664 6646
5th June, 2018