Pan-oramic views
The new owner of JM Barrie’s former residence will be able to survey London from the very spot that his famous literary creation did in Peter Pan
THE address might not be second star to the right, and straight on till morning – it’s actually in the heart of the exclusive London district of South Kensington – but this house is the nearest any buyer is likely to get to the magic of Peter Pan.
The grand six-bedroom property was home to author JM Barrie in 1890, and he is believed to have been inspired by one of its most beautiful features when writing his children’s classic, published over a decade later.
As fans of the boy who would not grow up know, Peter Pan visits the Darling children through their bedroom balcony window, pausing to take in the London skyline before flying off over the rooftops to Neverland.
While the fictional hero himself came straight from JM Barrie’s imagination, the balcony exists in real life, on the upper floor of this house.
But that’s far from the only impressive element of this period home, which is set over four floors and has pretty front and rear gardens.
Inside, it retains many original features, including ornate cornicing and solid wood flooring throughout. Downstairs, a generous-sized light-filled reception room benefits from high ceilings and stone mullion windows looking out onto the communal gardens of Hereford Square.
On the first floor there are two large double bedrooms, a small double bedroom and a spacious family bathroom. The second floor has two further bedrooms and another family bathroom and then, of course, there’s the upper floor with its balcony and views to make anyone want to pause in admiration (although maybe not take flight).
The lower ground floor has a family dining room with fully fitted kitchen, utility room and another double bedroom with en-suite bathroom. A short walk from the Royal Albert Hall and Kensington Palace, the house is for sale freehold with an asking price of £8.5million with Pastor Real Estate. See pastor-realestate.com/ bedroom, entrance hall and reception room, and a bike garage on the ground floor.
A third bedroom, currently used as a gym, is on the lower ground floor, where there’s also a second bathroom and large utility room. One of the property’s main attractions is a large roof terrace.
■ 8 Berners Mews is for sale freehold with mews specialists Lurot Brand, priced £4million. See lurotbrand.co.uk