Property Of The Week

RAZOR SHARP FAMILY HOME AVAILABLE IN STREET ONCE OCCUPIED BY LANDMARK WILKINSON SWORD FACTORY

 A rare opportunity has become available to purchase a home on one of Chelsea’s most significant streets, where the stainless steel razor blade was first developed and manufactured by Wilkinson Sword at their factory on Sydney Street.  For similarly pioneering buyers, a bespoke-designed Grade II listed family home has come onto the market on Sydney Street. The newly-refurbished five-bedroom home comes complete with a wine cellar and media room. It is on the market with Russell Simpson for £5.5 million.

Steeped in history, Sydney Street was once famed for being the location of the Wilkinson Sword factory, where the first stainless steel razor blade was invented in 1956. Replacing carbon steel blades, which rusted so quickly that most people threw them away after one use, this invention dramatically changed the shaving industry for good, and shaped the company into the global brand it is today.

 The Wilkinson Sword factory first opened on Sydney Street in the 1870s, and prior to becoming a household name in razor manufacturing, the company was responsible for producing bayonets, swords and some of the earliest motorcycles seen in the UK. The famous Flak jackets used by the US army in WWII were also created on Sydney Street.

 Other Chelsea landmarks on the street include the Royal Brompton Hospital, the UK’s largest specialist heart and lungs centre, where patients were frequently visited by Diana, Princess of Wales. The hospital was patronised by Queen Victoria when it opened in 1847. Grade I listed St Luke’s Church is also a prominent building, as one of the earliest Gothic Revival churches, where novelist Charles Dickens was married.

 The perfect home for those with a taste for heritage luxury, the property is a beautifully designed and newly refurbished Grade II listed Victorian townhouse. Renovated by architects and interior designers Mackenzie & Temple, the house retains its original period features, while providing everything required for contemporary style living.

 Covering five floors, the 2,782-sq. ft. home comprises five double bedrooms, two reception rooms, dining room, kitchen, media room, wine cellar and three bathrooms.

 As one of London’s most sought-after residential areas, Chelsea offers unrivalled shopping, dining and recreation, with eateries such as the Ivy Chelsea Garden within a brief walk of the property. The home is only a five-minute walk from King’s Road, and two minutes from Fulham Road, which both offer a wide array of boutique retailers. A wide range of good schools are in close proximity to the property, and South Kensington (District, Circle and Piccadilly Lines) is a six-minute walk from the property.

 This home on Sydney Street is on the market at £5,500,000. For further information, contact Russell Simpson on 020 7225 0277  or visit their website www.russellsimpson.co.uk