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An apartment in Marylebone where the writer H.G Wells once hosted a weekly book club for has gone on sale for £3.65 million.
The 2,200 square foot apartment in Chiltern Court in Marylebone was also home to author Arnold Bennett and political cartoonist David Low.
Wells organised gatherings debating everything from new novels to political pamphlets and discussions on women’s, refugee and worker’s rights
The large reception room of the building was the scene of club events up until the outbreak of World War II and included guests such as Beatrice Webb, the sociologist and economist, Emmeline Pankhurst, the British suffragette movement leader and author Frank Podmore.
The £3.65m flat where H.G Wells once hosted a book club
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Now on the market for £3.65 million through Rokstone agency, the 4-bedroom flat has been refurbished into a luxury apartment providing an exceptional 40 meter window frontage and depth. It claims to be the longest and most outstanding lateral flat - ones that stretch the full width of a building, or sometimes across two buildings - currently for sale in London’s West End.
According to Rokstone, a typical three to four bedroom apartment in London’s West End has an average frontage of 7 metres to 10 metres and is normally three to five windows wide. At over 40 metres wide and 13 windows across, the South facing front of the Chiltern Court apartment is rare and sought after.
Located in Chiltern Court, the grand building was originally designed to serve as headquarter of the Metropolitan Railway Company and a luxury hotel. The flats were designed by architect Charles Walter Clark and completed in 1929.
“Chiltern Court is a grand Portland stone mansion flat building with an illustrious history. It is here during the 1930s that some of the leading writers and politicians of the day met to debate women’s and worker’s rights and political events then taking place in Europe,” said Becky Fatemi, Managing Director of Rokstone.
The south-facing reception room has three windows, wood flooring and a feature fireplace. Along one side of the room is bespoke shelving, a reminder of the rich literary history of the apartment building.
A fully fitted designer kitchen as well as a luxurious master bedroom with Carerra marble slab flooring is also likely to convince prospective buyers of the West End pricey home.
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