VERA’S VICTORIAN ABODE
Director Mike Leigh’s 2004 film Vera Drake was nominated for three Academy Awards for its portrayal of a woman sent to prison after illegally performing abortions in 1950s Britain.
The movie, which won critical praise and turned a profit despite its harrowing storyline, was filmed all over London at locations that reflected its grey post-war backdrop.
This included an apartment within Cressy House, an austere red-brick Victorian-era mansion block near Stepney Green tube station in E1, which was used to portray the home of Vera, played by Imelda Staunton.
During the 1950s Stepney was a working class area that accommodated mainly immigrant families and had been heavily bombed during the Blitz, and subsequently peppered with high-rise towers.
More recently the area’s character has been changing as young professionals, unable to afford hipster hotspots, have moved in to buy Stepney Green’s more affordable properties.
“The demographic has changed vastly as we are seeing more and more City workers buying in this area, whereas prior to around 2012/13 Stepney Green was mostly of interest to buy-to-let investors,” says Tony Varghese of Ludlow Thompson.
A two-bedroom apartment within the Vera Drake building is currently for sale at £400,000 which, shockingly, many Londoners would consider affordable.
Cressy House is a destination address after it became a hub for media types, film makers and artists.
More details from Ludlow Thompson on 020 7480 0170.