Property: 7 homes with rockstar credentials
Book-ended by the coronation concert and the Eurovision Song Contest, this is a big week for music. So what better excuse is needed for checking out this collection of houses and flats, all with a musical past? From rock stars’ former homes to converted recording studios, each hits exactly the right note
1. Mayfair, London W1, £2,500 per week
Back in the early 1970s, a flat in this Grade II listed Georgian building was bought by US singer/songwriter Harry Nilsson, whose power ballad Without You spent five weeks at the top of the UK charts. He often lent it to friends, including Mama Cass of the Mamas and Papas and The Who’s Keith Moon, before selling it to Pete Townshend (also of The Who) and moving back to LA. Now a bigger, fully renovated duplex apartment has come up for rent. Set on the raised and lower ground floors, it has high ceilings, two large ensuite bedrooms, a south-west facing reception room and a bright dining room with a floor to ceiling bay window and Juliet balcony overlooking communal gardens. Through London Real Estate Office.
2. Chertsey, Surrey, £22,500 pcm
St Anns Court is a substantial Grade II* listed Modernist house built in 1936 on the site of an Elizabethan manor. It comprises a circular main house with five reception rooms, six bedrooms and five bathrooms, and a separate converted Victorian coach house containing a guest flat, office, games room and world-class recording studio. The house has featured as a location in numerous TV series and films, including the Oscar-winning biopic Judy, starring Renée Zellweger as Judy Garland, and Roxy Music and Paul Weller are just two of the big names who’ve recorded albums in the studio. Offered for short lets through Knight Frank.
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3. The Venue, Hayes, Middlesex, from £189,000
This new development is part of The Old Vinyl Factory, an 18-acre complex previously owned by music company EMI, which produced records under the His Majesty’s Voice (HMV) label for superstars including Frank Sinatra, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Queen, Pink Floyd and The Beatles. One and two-bedroom with private balconies or terraces are for sale, some offered to first-time buyers at a 20% saving under the Discount Market Sale scheme. Hayes & Harlington Elizabeth line station is a short walk. Get in touch with Weston Homes.
4. Malvern, Worcestershire, offers over £1.1m
Although known primarily as a composer, Sir Edward Elgar also played the violin professionally. In the early 1900s he gave a performance in Holywell Chapel, on the slopes of the Malvern Hills. The property was completely rebuilt in 2013, and now consists of a contemporary open plan three-bedroom house and a two-bedroom studio annex, but the sweeping views are exactly the same as those Elgar enjoyed while performing there over 100 years ago. For sale through Fine & Country.
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5. Woodditton, Newmarket, Suffolk, £1.35m
Unless you’re a music nerd, you probably haven’t heard of Focusrite, a huge US-based company manufacturing audio interfaces used in sound recordings. It was founded by Rupert Neve and his wife Evelyn, and one of their first commissions was to build the vintage recording console in George Martin's AIR Montserrat retreat studio in the Caribbean which subsequently hosted recording sessions for major artists such as Michael Jackson, Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Elton John and Stevie Wonder. In the 1980s Neves moved their business into The Old Church School, a former Victorian school which was later converted into a family home. The existing owners added a garage building in 2012 and today it’s an impressive six-bedroom house with a gym into the original school room. For sale via Jackson-Stops.
6. Pangbourne, Berkshire, £1.65m
The Boathouse has its own special place in rock’n’roll history as it was bought by guitarist Jimmy Page in 1967 and where he and the other three members of Led Zeppelin first got together as a band. Currently owned by the producer of The King’s Speech, it’s been fully restored and includes four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a wonderful open plan kitchen/living/entertaining room opening out to a riverside terrace, an indoor swimming pool, gym, steam room, hot tub, a 34-foot mooring, and as you might expect – an impressive cinema room. For more details contact Singleton & Daughter.
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7. Camden, London NW1, £4.5m
If classical music’s your bag and you have a hefty budget, why not make a play for this vast three-bedroom warehouse apartment? It’s on the third floor of Chappell Lofts, previously a factory which provided pianos for nobility, gentry and musicians, counting Beethoven, Strauss and Sibelius among its clients. There are high beamed ceilings, exposed brick walls and large sash windows throughout, and residents have access to amenities including swimming pool, spa, lounge, bar and porter service. Through Anderson Rose.
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