A historic Mayfair home that once belonged to the founder of the London Underground hit the market for $20.8 million.
Built between 1896 and 1898, the seven-story South Street building belonged to Lord Ashfield, the first chairman of London Transport, the Daily Mail reported. It has two balconies that offer views across the nearby Mount Street Gardens, which predates the house by almost a decade.
The 6,477-square-foot house, less than a mile east of Hyde Park, has a blue plaque on the front exterior that notes the building’s famed previous owner. Born Albert Henry Stanley, Lord Ashfield was offered knighthood for his services to the Underground in 1914. According to the London Transport Museum, he was created Baron Ashfield of Southwell in 1920 as a reward for his work and was referred to as Lord Ashfield thereafter.
When Lord Ashfield died in November 1948, a memorial in his name was unveiled at the London Transport headquarters, calling him the “Creator of London Transport.”
The seven-level Mayfair home has a kitchen and staff room on the ground floor. The primary bedroom suite with dressing room is on the second floor. Some of the home’s original features remain, including almost-12-foot-high ceilings, paneling and stained glass windows.
(Source: Wetherell)
The average price of homes sold in Mayfair is £1,906,267, or just under $2.5 million, significantly higher than the $415,000 average sales price of other British homes.
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